A Vande Bharat Express (image for representation)
| Photo Credit: K Ragesh
The Vande Bharat Express travelling from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram hit an overturned autorickshaw at the Akathumuri railway station near Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) night. The train dragged the three-wheeler several metres along the track. No casualties were reported as there were no one in the autorickshaw.
According to Southern Railways officials, the incident involved train no. 20633 Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express while it was approaching the Akathumuri halt station in the Varkala-Kadakkavur section about 10.10 p.m. On seeing the vehicle on the track, the loco pilot immediately applied emergency brakes, although it hit the autorickshaw.
Though the autorickshaw was found unattended, it is assumed that it was not a case of sabotage. The auto driver was later nabbed from nearby in an intoxicated condition and he confessed that the vehicle had overturned to the track after he lost control of it near the second platform of the halt station.
The railway protection force (RPF), engineering personnel and the local police who reached the spot soon removed the vehicle from the track. No injuries to any train passengers were reported.
Operations resume
After a delay of over one hour, the Vande Bharat Express resumed its journey by 11.15 p.m.
The incident halted train operations through the track section for some time, and these were restored after the track was cleared.
The train reached the Thiruvananthapuram Central station at 11.50 p.m. It resumed its return journey on Wednesday (December 24, 2025) morning after the minor damages were fixed.
Published – December 24, 2025 12:24 pm IST
