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Metro services on Kolkata's Blue Line were disrupted for nearly an hour on Friday morning due to a signalling issue, causing major inconvenience to office commuters. The problem occurred between Dum Dum and Belgachhia stations around 8:30 a.m., according to officials. A Metro spokesperson explained that the disruption was caused
by "urgent, unscheduled preventive maintenance work" in the automatic signalling system. During this time, trains operated only between Shahid Khudiram (Briji) and Girish Park, while services between Dakshineswar and Girish Park were suspended. Normal operations across the entire Blue Line resumed around 9:20 a.m.
Passengers Got Stranded
The breakdown during rush hour stranded many passengers. One commuter from Dum Dum, who works in Kalighat, said she had to take a suburban train to Ballygunge and then a bus to reach her office. "My journey took almost an hour instead of the usual 30 minutes on the Metro," she said.
Technical Issues on Blue Line
The Blue Line, which runs north to south across the city, has been facing frequent technical snags in recent months. Since the suspension of services at Kavi Subhash (New Garia) station on July 28 due to cracks in platform pillars, the pressure on the rest of the line has increased significantly. Although the situation has slightly improved, regular glitches continue to disrupt services. Officials admit that the ageing infrastructure is a key reason for the recurring problems. The Blue Line, operational since the 1980s, has signalling systems, tracks, and tunnels that are over four decades old. Over time, these systems wear out, making breakdowns unavoidable.
The Metro authorities have started planning an upgrade of the Blue Line, but the project timeline has not yet been decided. Passengers continue to hope for smoother, more reliable services soon.
