Delhi Metro services hit on two busy lines

Technical glitches hit Delhi Metro services on two of its busiest lines Monday, with normalcy soon being restored on one line but the problem spilling over to Tuesday on the other, an official said.

Services on the Jahangir Puri-Gurgaon line were affected Monday with trains running at a restricted speed due to a track circuit failure. Services in the opposite direction were, however, operating normally. Services were also affected on the Anand Vihar-Dwarka line but normalcy was restored by noon, the official said.

According to a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official, the problem on the Jahangir Puri-Gurgaon line "has been identified, but it will be rectified later in the night as taking up repair work immediately will lead to delays in services".

"The trains are likely to resume their normal speed by Tuesday morning," the official added.

"The trains to HUDA City Centre (Gurgaon) from Jahangirpuri will move at a restricted speed of 20 km per hour between the INA and AIIMS Metro stations due to track circuit failure near the INA station," the official said.

This cut little ice with commuters.

"The trains are moving at a snail's speed, often stopping abruptly between the stations. It is really irritating. We cannot trust the Delhi Metro services," said irate Delhi University student Anupama Sharma.

Services on the Anand Vihar-Dwarka line were affected during the morning rush hour when a train developed a technical problem at the Kirti Nagar station.

Due to this, the trains that followed were delayed for over half-an-hour and hundreds of harried passengers kept waiting at various stations.

There was a near stampede-like situation at stations like Anand Vihar, Laxmi Nagar and Yamuna Bank as passengers pushed each other to board trains. These stations see the maximum footfall on the line.

Commuters had a horrifying experience while boarding and de-boarding the overcrowded trains. Huge queues could be seen at almost all stations on the line and once the trains started running, they were jam-packed.

Benitta Joseph,a public relation officer, who takes a Metro train from Anand Vihar to Rajiv Chowk, said there was almost a "stampede-like situation" at the Laxmi Nagar station due to the delays.

According to the DMRC official, normalcy on the line was restored by 12 p.m.

With 16 lakh commuters travelling by Metro everyday, it has become the lifeline of the city. However, its sleek image has been dented with frequent technical snags in the past few months.