Fact Check: Vande Bharat train bound to Goa did not lose route, it was diverted

It is a great example of the ‘Make in India’ success story. It has become a symbol of India’s aspiration for modern, efficient, and comfortable rail travel. A total of 102 Vande Bharat train services (51 trains) are running across the Indian Railways, connecting states having Broad Gauge (B.G.) electrified network. During the financial year 2022-23, approximately 31.84 lakh people booked to travel on Vande Bharat trains. The overall occupancy of Vande Bharat trains during this period has been 96.62%.

Meanwhile, a few social media users started sharing posts claiming that a Vande Bharat Express lost its way. Instead of reaching Goa, it ended up in Kalyan Junction.

Here is the Screenshot of the claim link.

Fact check:

The claim is Misleading. The train was diverted due to a technical problem.

When we searched for the latest news about the Vnade Bharat Train, we found a post published by the official Twitter account of Mumbai Division, Central Railway, which states that the train was diverted because of a problem en route. The train had started from its scheduled station i.e. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai, and arrived at the predetermined scheduled station i.e. Madgaon.

According to Deccan Herald, the CSMT- Madgaon Vande Bharat Express train deviated from its regular route on December 23, 2024, due to a technical snag at Diva station in Thane district of Maharashtra, delaying its onward journey to Goa by 90 minutes. Instead of proceeding towards Panvel station on the Diva-Panvel railway line used by Konkan bound trains, the Express train took the Kalyan route around 6.10 am.

A senior railway official said the CSMT-Madgaon train, departed at 5.25 am, crossed Thane station and stopped at Diva junction at 6.10 am owing to the signal failure. Two mail/express trains and a suburban train were stranded behind the Vande Bharat. "While it waited for 35 minutes, the Vande Bharat train was unable to cross/change tracks from the down fast line (third line) to the fifth line — from where trains bound for Konkan proceed to Panvel station," said a Central Railway official, adding that the train was given permission to take a detour via Kalyan. Another official said this decision was taken to prevent additional delays. "This ensured that passengers were not stranded for a longer duration."

Hence, the claim that Vande Bharat Express which was supposed to go to Goa, lost its way, and ended up in Kalyan junction is Mislaeding. The train was diverted due to technical problems at Diva junction.