| Nightmare on the Metro as thousands are trapped at rush hour after train breaks down by railgenie on 12 June, 2013 - 11:30 PM | ||
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 railgenie | Nightmare on the Metro as thousands are trapped at rush hour after train breaks down on 12 June, 2013 - 11:30 PM | |
A snag-hit Metro train caused a major security scare during morning rush hour on Line 2 (yellow line), as well as inconveniencing thousands of commuters on Tuesday.The incident exposed Delhi Metro's failure to conduct a rescue operation in an emergency. Trouble started after a Metro train travelling from Jahangirpuri towards Huda City Centre developed a snag and finally broke down between the Udyog Bhawan and Central Secretariat Metro stations at 9.24am.Passengers said no information was provided over the public address system. After the air-conditioning gave way, panicked commuters pushed open the emergency exit at the rear of the train, clambered out, and started walking on the tracks towards the Central Secretariat station.Meanwhile, Delhi Metro dispatched a rescue train for the stranded passengers. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) also rushed several ambulances to Central Secretariat, fearing the worst.But nearly 1,900 passengers who were travelling in the stricken train did not take the rescue train but walked all the way to Central Secretariat, throwing CISF personnel into a tizzy.Officials said as soon as they learnt about commuters walking on the tracks, they launched another rescue operation, sending Metro workers on foot to guide the commuters.It took Delhi Metro more than an hour to clear the tracks."The first signs of trouble came at Vishwavidyalaya station, where the train stopped for 20 minutes. After that the train kept stopping at every station for 10 to 15 minutes. It took nearly an hour for the train to reach New Delhi Metro station. The air-conditioning stopped. No announcements were made and several elderly people panicked," said Ashutosh Mishra, a commuter who was travelling in the train. | ||