Orange Snake of India: Know the Special Features of This Vande Bharat Express
Discover why the Bengaluru–Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express is nicknamed the "Orange Snake of India." Learn how its special Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system helps it safely navigate 57 tunnels and steep gradients in the Western Ghats.
Recently, on 23 August, 2026, with a special feature, a successful trial test was conducted of Vande Bharat Express moving through the green Western Ghats of Karnataka.
This long train while moving on 55-km-long distance, its long orange body looked like a snake passing through the hills. That’s why it is popularly known as the “Orange Snake of India”.
But this name is not the official name of this Vande Bharat, it is given nickname only.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also shared the video on X on August 23, 2026. He wrote, “New age trains! Make more in India 🇮🇳.”
New age trains! Make more in India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/TUjZup3iKz
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 23, 2026
But this Vande Bharat has very special features, that have been prepared to safely run through the difficult Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road ghat section in Karnataka.
Let’s explore this article in detail and know more about this Vande Bharat Express.
Quick GK Facts
| Aspects | Facts |
| Orange Snake of India | A popular nickname for an orange-and-white Vande Bharat seen in Karnataka |
| Route | Bengaluru–Mangaluru |
| Mountain Region | Western Ghats |
| The most difficult section of this route | Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road |
| A special safety system was added | Auto Emergency Brake (AEB) |
| Where was the special Vande Bharat rake prepared? | Integral Coach Factory, Chennai |
| Why is AEB important? | It helps control speed and apply brakes automatically when required |
| Number of tunnels on the ghat section? | Around 57 |
| Number of sharp curves | Around 108 |
| Is “Orange Snake” its official name? | No |
| Has the regular passenger timetable been announced? | No |
Why Is This Vande Bharat Special?
This Vande Bharat Express has been on a successful trial run between Bengaluru–Mangaluru on the railway line, which passes through the Western Ghats, which is about 55 km long and has steep gradients, many tunnels, bridges, and sharp curves.
Due to all these difficult condition on the routes of this Vande Bharat, it needed a special feature with additional safety arrangements before it could be tested for trials.
A 20-coach Vande Bharat rake fitted with an Automatic Emergency Braking system was brought from ICF, Chennai, for the trials.
For this reason, a specially modified Vande Bharat train was prepared for the trials.
| Special Feature | Details |
| Train | Vande Bharat Express |
| Special system | Auto Emergency Brake (AEB) |
| Coach production | Integral Coach Factory, Chennai |
| Important trial section | Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road |
| Location | Western Ghats, Karnataka |
| Train formation used for trials | Specially modified Vande Bharat rake |
| Main purpose | Safety and technical testing |
Special Auto Emergency Brake System
This Vande Bharat is special due to the Special Auto Emergency Brake System has been used.
AEB is important for this Vande Bharat because the route of this Vande Bharat has very diiifcult which has to pass from difficult ghat section.
The Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road section is about 55 km long.
It has around 57 tunnels, more than 200 bridges, 108 sharp curves, and a steep gradient of around 1 in 50.
As Vande Bharat is known for its speed, that’s why, at this 55-km distance, the speed of this train will be 30km/h, and if the train goes above the permitted speed, the system can automatically apply the brakes. This helps reduce the risk of excessive speed on steep downhill sections.
What Makes the Western Ghats Route Difficult?
The Western Ghats are a beautiful landscape, but railway operation is very difficult in this area.
The railway line passes through:
Mountains to Tunnels to Sharp Curves to Bridges to Steep Slopes.
This Vande Bharat can also have been affected by the unexpected weather condition, heavy monsoon conditions of the region, and unexpected landslides in this region.
Therefore, it needs to carefully check the braking, speed, and train handling before regular service can begin.
Where was this Vande Bharat manufactured?
This special 20-coach Vande Bharat rake was manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
ICF is one of the major coach manufacturing units of Indian Railways. It has played an important role in manufacturing Vande Bharat trainsets.
The rake was later allotted to the South Western Railway zone for the trials in Karnataka.
Vande Bharat Features at a Glance
| Feature | Explained |
| Automatic doors | Doors operate automatically |
| GPS-based PIS | Gives journey information |
| Wi-Fi | Internet facility for passengers |
| CCTV | Helps with security |
| Fire detection | Helps detect fire |
| Bio-vacuum toilets | Modern toilet system |
| Faster acceleration | Train gains speed quickly |
| Stainless-steel body | Strong modern coach body |
| AEB in special rake | Extra safety for the ghat trial |
Prabhat Mishra is a Subject Matter Expert and digital journalist with an extensive background in the competitive exam landscape and over 4 years of experience in education, national and international news, and current affairs. Over his tenure with top knowledge platforms like Mentorship India, IAS BABA, IAS SARTHI, and now Jagran Josh, he has a deep understanding of government exams like UPSC and State PCS, including UP and Bihar, as he has already qualified for the UPPCS 2022 Mains and Bihar 68th Mains. With his core expertise in history, polity, geography & current affairs, he specialises in creating well-researched, aspirant-centric content and simplifying complex topics for competitive examinations.
