Vande Bharat Express has added another milestone to its growing role beyond passenger transport after carrying a live donor heart 250 kilometres in just two hours for a life-saving transplant in Gujarat. The operation marked the first time Indian Railways transported a live donor heart by train in the country.

The donor heart was moved from Surat to Ahmedabad aboard Train No. 20901 Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express before reaching the U.N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre for transplantation.  

For organ transplants, every minute matters because donor organs remain viable only for a limited period. That made speed and precise coordination critical throughout the journey.

High-speed journey backed by seamless coordination

The transport operation involved Indian Railways, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Gujarat State Police and medical teams working together on a tightly planned schedule.

Once the train reached Ahmedabad, a dedicated green corridor was created from Platform No. 1 of Ahmedabad railway station to the U.N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre. The secured route allowed the ambulance carrying the donor heart to move without interruption so that the transplant procedure could begin as quickly as possible.

Railway officials said the mission demonstrated how Vande Bharat's speed, punctuality and operational reliability can support time-critical medical emergencies. They also acknowledged the coordinated efforts of railway officials, RPF personnel, Gujarat Police, doctors and organ transplant coordinators in completing the operation successfully.

The mission is the latest example of Vande Bharat being used in a medical emergency. In September 2025, a 13-year-old girl suffering from a serious heart condition was taken from Kerala’s Kollam to Ernakulam on a Vande Bharat train after an air ambulance was unavailable. She had to reach Kochi urgently after a suitable donor heart became available.

The girl later underwent a heart transplant at Lisie Hospital. The donor heart, retrieved from an 18-year-old engineering student whose family consented to organ donation after he was declared brain dead following a road accident, was successfully transplanted. Hospital authorities had then confirmed that the surgery was completed successfully.

The latest Gujarat mission further highlights how high-speed rail connectivity can support emergency healthcare when every minute counts.