Orange Snake: Vande Bharat turns into an ‘orange snake’ as it winds through misty Western Ghats; breathtaking aerial video goes viral – Watch here
There are few sights quite like a train disappearing into a wall of mist and emerging moments later against a backdrop of lush green mountains. A new aerial video of the Vande Bharat Express doing exactly that in Karnataka has left social media users mesmerised.The footage shows the orange-and-white train snaking its way through the mist-covered Western Ghats, surrounded by dense forests, steep slopes and a landscape transformed by the monsoon. From above, the long train appears almost like an orange snake making its way through the green hills.The striking visuals were captured during a recent trial run on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section, also known as the Shiradi Ghat section, in Karnataka. The video was originally captured by creator @hemisphere.fpv and has garnered over 15 million views on Instagram. Later, it was shared by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on X.Watch here:The aerial perspective gives an unusual view of the Vande Bharat. Instead of the familiar image of the train speeding through open tracks or pulling into a busy station, the video captures it navigating one of India’s more challenging railway landscapes.At several points, the train is partly swallowed by the mist before reappearing as it follows the curves of the track. The bright orange coaches stand out sharply against the deep greens of the Western Ghats, creating the visual that prompted comparisons with an “orange snake”.The monsoon adds another layer to the scene. The hills are covered in thick vegetation while clouds and mist hang low over the railway line, making the modern train look almost out of place- yet remarkably at home- in the dramatic landscape.
Why this railway stretch is challenging
The Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road section forms part of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru railway route and passes through difficult terrain. The route features steep gradients, sharp curves, tunnels and bridges, making train operations particularly demanding. According to the details reported with the video, the stretch includes 57 tunnels, 258 bridges and 108 sharp curves.
Railway Minister shares video
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the footage on X on August 23, writing, “New age trains! Make more in India.”The post quickly drew attention online, with viewers focusing as much on the landscape as on the train itself.The Vande Bharat’s bright orange-and-white coaches, winding through the green mountains and repeatedly appearing and disappearing in the monsoon mist, gave the impression of a moving streak of colour across the Western Ghats.And for a few seconds, from high above, India’s modern railway looked less like a train and more like a giant orange snake making its way through a sea of green.
