In a major operational embarrassment for Indian Railways, the Sabarmati–Gurgaon Vande Bharat special (09401), operated by Western Railway late Sunday evening, ended up clocking the longest-ever journey for the premium train — nearly 1,400 km in 28 hours — but for all the wrong reasons.

For now, it stands as a case study in how small lapses in planning can derail the promise of India’s flagship semi-high-speed train.