The train left the southern town of Tirupati on Wednesday for the eastern city of Bhubaneswar, where it was due to swing north to its eventual destination of Varanasi, a city in northeastern India, The Times of India reported today.
But bewildered passengers noticed something was amiss yesterday when it chugged into Warangal - a central Indian city on an entirely different route some 980km west of its intended stop at Bhubaneswar.
The express train had managed to cross three of India's railway divisions and travel hundreds of miles without anyone noticing it had lost its way, The Times reported.
The mistake was believed to have arisen because it was given an incorrect destination code, compounded by the fact it was a special service and many of the staff were unfamiliar with the route.
The train was eventually rerouted along a different line and completed its 2300km journey safely.
"Though the journey was agonising, we thank our stars that the train did not run into another train," one of its more-than 1000 weary passengers told The Times.
But bewildered passengers noticed something was amiss yesterday when it chugged into Warangal - a central Indian city on an entirely different route some 980km west of its intended stop at Bhubaneswar.
The express train had managed to cross three of India's railway divisions and travel hundreds of miles without anyone noticing it had lost its way, The Times reported.
The mistake was believed to have arisen because it was given an incorrect destination code, compounded by the fact it was a special service and many of the staff were unfamiliar with the route.
The train was eventually rerouted along a different line and completed its 2300km journey safely.
"Though the journey was agonising, we thank our stars that the train did not run into another train," one of its more-than 1000 weary passengers told The Times.
grab some popcorn for the extended train trip