- A technical fault on Bengaluru Metro's Purple Line caused major commuter disruption Tuesday evening
- Thousands stranded at stations and on streets due to halted train services during peak hours
- Commuters resorted to hitching rides on trucks as cabs and autos were overwhelmed by demand
A technical snag on the Purple Line of Bengaluru Metro caused major inconvenience to thousands of commuters during peak hours on Tuesday evening, leading to long queues at several stations across the city.
Videos showing stranded passengers hitching rides on lorries and trucks to get home have since gone viral on social media, drawing criticism from citizens and Opposition leaders.
A large number of homebound commuters, asked to deboard trains, flooded the streets in frantic attempts to find alternative transport, triggering chaos on the roads.
Harried travellers were seen hopping on to lorries and trucks to get home as cab and auto services were also overwhelmed by a sudden influx of commuters forced onto the roads due to the metro snag.
The plight of the commuters drew a "first world versus third world attack on the state government by the opposition. Reacting to the disruption, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya posted: "First-world tech talent. Third-world governance. That is the story of Bengaluru".
"Metro disruptions have become alarmingly frequent. And every time the Metro fails, the entire city descends into chaos. Cabs disappear. Autos refuse rides. Citizens are stranded. Yesterday, hardworking professionals in India's Silicon Valley were forced to hitch rides on trucks and lorries just to get home after work. They will wake up tomorrow, go back to office, pay their taxes, and endure the same broken system all over again," he posted on X.
According to metro authorities, a technical fault was detected in a train at Cubbon Park Metro Station on the Purple Line around 6:30 pm on Tuesday. The disruption affected services on the Purple Line, which connects key parts of the city, including the IT corridor extending to Whitefield. The breakdown occurred during peak commuting hours, initially bringing train services to a halt and leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
Partial services were later restored, with trains operating between MG Road and Whitefield. However, commuters continued to face delays and overcrowding at several stations. Metro officials said repair work continued through the night and the issue was fully rectified by 5 am on Wednesday, restoring normal operations across the line.
