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On Tuesday afternoon, when Kolkata commuters most needed the Metro to move across the city, blocked by rallies, services on the Blue Line (North-South corridor) came to an unexpected halt due to water seepage at Maidan station. The disruption caused major inconvenience, as large parts of the city, especially between
Central and Tollygunge, were left without Metro service for nearly an hour. With road traffic crawling due to the rally, thousands of passengers were left stranded.
Cause of the Metro Disruption
Metro authorities detected the water leakage around 3 p.m. and quickly suspended operations between Central and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar stations to prevent any risk of electrocution. Limited or "truncated" services were instead run between Central and Dakshineswar, and between Tollygunge and Shahid Khudiram stations. The usual operations resumed later in the evening after safety checks were completed, stated a Metro Railway spokesperson.
Commuters' Expressed Frustration
Commuters described the situation as exhausting and frustrating. Soumyadipta Saha, one passenger, shared that he had to walk from Dalhousie to Esplanade and then to Park Street before finally booking an app cab to Rashbehari Avenue. "It took me almost one-and-a-half hours to travel a distance that normally takes 20 minutes by metro," he said.
Another commuter, Arati De, a schoolteacher from Central Avenue, said people were slowly getting used to frequent Metro disruptions but felt helpless when such problems occurred during peak travel hours. "Today, when rallies choked the city, we really needed the Metro, but it failed us again," she said.
The Blue Line, Kolkata's busiest Metro corridor, is often relied upon for daily commutes across the city. Tuesday's incident once again highlighted the impact of even short technical problems on thousands of passengers who depend on the Metro as their main means of transport.
