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Vande Bharat Express breaks down in UP due to communication failure (Lead)
New Delhi/Tundla, Feb 16 (IANS) After the much-hyped flagging off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the high-speed Vande Bharat Express to Varanasi, the train suffered a break down on Saturday early morning at Chamraula, 194 km from New Delhi on its empty return journey to Delhi, getting stuck for more than three hours.
Railways later blamed it on a “communcation failure” and “skidding wheels”, apparently due to a cattle runover on the tracks.
The Northern Railway, however, said the train would begin its commercial run from New Delhi on Sunday as scheduled. Considering the pre-inaugural publicity it had got from the time the rake rolled out of Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the train has been overbooked for the inaugural journey as well as subsequent days.
The train came to a halt at Chamraula, just before dawn, 18 km ahead of Tundla station, after its wheels started skidding reportedly after it ran over some livestock.
The train came to a halt around 5.30 a.m. near Chamraula station, according to railway officials. After some checking, the train started its onward journey but slowly and haltingly before it came to a stop. A couple of hours later, it left for Delhi after 8.30 a.m.
Officials said the braking system could not cope with the speed of the train and so the on-board mechanical engineers decided to put a halt to the train and engaged in a complete check.
Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar told IANS, “There was some communication and electrical failure due to which the brakes of the train got jammed.”
He said that the wheels of the affected coaches started skidding. However, the train later resumed its journey after the on-board engineers fixed the problem, Kumar said.
The Vande Bharat Express, which is scheduled to start its commercial run from Sunday, arrived in New Delhi around 1 p.m. on Saturday, seven hours behind schedule. The new train had started its return journey from Varanasi on Saturday night at 10.30 p.m., 45 minutes after it had reached the parliamentary constituency of the Prime Minister on its inaugural run.
Railways spokesperson Smita Vats Sharma said that this was not a scheduled commercial run. “Commercial operation of Vande Bharat Express starts from February 17,” she said.
“The train resumed its onward journey for Delhi at around 8.15 a.m from Chamraula,” she said
On Saturday, the train was flagged off by Modi from New Delhi Railway Station at 11.20 a.m.
The 16-coach train will have two executive compartments with 52 seats each and chair car coaches with 78 seats each.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.