A live donor heart was transported 250 km [1] from Surat to Ahmedabad via the Vande Bharat Express to save a critically ill patient.
This operation demonstrates the ability of Indian Railways to coordinate high-speed "green corridors" for the rapid transport of organs. Such logistics are critical for heart transplants because the organ remains viable for only a very short window after being removed from a donor.
The transport occurred on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 [3]. The heart traveled from Surat to Ahmedabad using the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express route, covering the distance in two hours [1].
To ensure the heart reached the patient in time, officials established a rapid transit path. After the train journey, the organ was transferred onto city streets to reach the transplant institute. The process involved coordination between Indian Railways, medical staff, and the Gujarat state government.
"The donor heart was successfully transplanted into a patient at the institute, giving him a new lease of life," Bhupendra Patel said [4].
The use of high-speed rail for medical emergencies marks a shift in how critical biological materials are moved across the region. The speed of the Vande Bharat Express allowed the medical team to bypass typical traffic congestion associated with road transport, a common hurdle in organ recovery.
"This is a historic medical first for Indian Railways," a railway spokesperson said [5].
“The donor heart was successfully transplanted into a patient at the institute, giving him a new lease of life.”
The successful use of a rail-based green corridor reduces the reliance on air ambulances or road transport, which are often subject to weather or traffic delays. By integrating high-speed rail into the organ procurement chain, India may be able to expand the geographic range from which viable organs can be sourced, potentially increasing the number of successful transplants for cardiac patients.
