India's newly launched fast train resumes service

India's fastest passenger train today began its maiden commercial run, a day after it broke down on its way to Delhi from Varanasi.

"Vande Bharat Express left Delhi for Varanasi today morning on its first commercial run. Tickets sold out for the next two weeks already." tweeted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

In a statement issued on Saturday night, the country's railway authorities said that during the journey of the train back from Varanasi it was stopped at Chamraula station of National Capital Region, about 18 kilometres after crossing Tundla station.

"There was an issue of communication between the last basic unit of four coaches and the rest of the train probably due to some external hit. Thereafter, safety features in the train applied brakes. The train was checked for faults and moved to Delhi," it said.

Train 18, which can attain the maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour, was recently rechristened Vande Bharat Express and left Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for Delhi on Friday night, nearly 45 minutes after reaching the holy city on its inaugural journey after being flagged off by Modi.

The first breakdown had occurred around 15 kilometres from Tundla junction in Uttar Pradesh early morning. "It was a case of skidding wheels after the train ran over a cattle," Northern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Deepak Kumar had said in the morning.