The Vande Bharat Express bound for Secunderabad was partially damaged after it hit a buffalo near Tallapoosapalli railway station in Kesamudram mandal on Sunday. The incident caused a brief halt and inconvenience to passengers onboard.
The train, which was coming from Visakhapatnam, collided with the buffalo grazing on the tracks near the 428/11 upline. The impact broke a portion of the cattle guard at the front of the train, prompting an unscheduled halt.
Upon receiving information from field staff, railway police and station officials
rushed to the spot, removed the carcass, and retrieved the broken parts of the cattle guard. The train resumed its journey after the site was cleared.
Railway authorities said steps would be taken to prevent cattle from straying onto the tracks. They also said efforts were on to trace the owner of the buffalo.
Incidents of Vande Bharat trains hitting stray cattle have been frequently reported across the country since the introduction of the service. Several such accidents have occurred in different states, raising concerns about track safety.