Delhi Metro services disrupted on Yellow Line due to technical snag; passengers stranded at Qutab Minar station

New Delhi: Services were disrupted on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro on Tuesday morning due to a technical glitch, leaving many passengers stranded. Yellow Line connects Samaypur Badli in the city to Huda City Centre in Gurgaon. Due to the snag, commuters had a hard time reaching their destination and many passengers were stranded at the Qutub Minar station. [caption id=“attachment_4255075” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Delhi metro. Representational image. PTI[/caption] The train services were hit around 9.32 am due to a breakdown of the overhead wire (OHE) at Sultanpur station, leading to tripping of power supply in the section, DMRC officials said. “Due to a technical snag at Chattarpur, train services have been affected on the Yellow Line. The issue is being rectified,” a senior DMRC official said. Trains are being run in following loops temporarily: between Huda City Centre and Sultanpur and between Samaypur Badli and Qutub Minar, he said. “There will be no train movement between Sultanpur and Qutub Minar,” he said. Chhattarpur station falls between Sultanpur and Qutub Minar. The passengers of the two trains which were passing through the section at that time were deboarded and services were resumed by running trains in short loops, they said. “Train services are being run between Samaypur Badli and Qutab Minar section of Yellow Line at a frequency of around three minutes, while on Sultanpur-HUDA City Centre sections, trains are running at a frequency of around eight minutes,” the officials said. Normal services on the Yellow Line will resume as soon as the OHE is restored, they said. The DMRC is running feeder buses in the affected section to provide relief to the commuters, they added. There was no train movement between Sultanpur and Qutub Minar in the morning rush hour. Passengers of the two trains which were passing through the section at the time were asked to deboard and services were resumed by running trains in short loops, officials said. With the lifeline that connects the national capital to the satellite town of Gurgaon severed, there was mayhem on the roads: and on the tracks. Some people got off the train and had to walk on the track at Qutub Minar station and others were stuck inside coaches, sending tweets asking for the air-conditioning to be put on. And then there were those who had no option but to simply walk the distance. There were the old and young, men and women, some with children and others with bags, knocking at car windows and searching for cabs, auto-rickshaws or any vehicle that could give them a lift. When that did not work, several hundred just squared their shoulders and walked in the scorching sun on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon highway. Many did not reach their offices and those that did reported for work late. One woman, who took a lift from a passing car, said she was desperate to get to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for an MRI, an appointment she got after many months of waiting. With the metro out of service, there was surge pricing on radio cabs and autos. Those fortunate enough to be in their cars also suffered from huge traffic jams that lasted for more than two hours. Crowds swarmed the stations with people spilling on to the stairs and the road. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought a report from Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.“I have asked the transport minister to seek a detailed report and direct Delhi Metro to fix responsibility,” he said on Twitter. Many commuters took to social media to express their anger. “My wife is stuck since 9 am No feeder bus No Cabs No Auto Crazy scene,” a commuter tweeted. Another commuter complained that many were stuck in trains with no AC. The commuter also claimed that some passengers also fainted. The DMRC ran feeder buses in the affected section to provide relief to the commuters, they added. An estimated seven to eight lakh commuters use the Yellow Line each day. Delhi Metro’s ridership is more than 30 lakh a day. With inputs from PTI