Metro chaos spills onto roads as disruption chokes B'luru

Bengaluru,

Visuals of thousands of stranded commuters across Bengaluru flooded social media after services on the Purple Line were disrupted due to a technical fault at Cubbon Park Metro Station on Tuesday. In several scenes that quickly went viral, IT professionals and office-goers were seen climbing onto lorries and tractors in a desperate bid to reach their destinations.

The disruption not only brought metro services to a halt but also triggered widespread traffic congestion, severely affecting the city's evening commute and disrupting normal life. “Although the train arrived, the doors remained shut for nearly 15 to 20 minutes. After moving a short distance, the train stopped again, with the doors closed for almost half an hour. Even after services resumed, the train halted for nearly 15 to 20 minutes at every station,” said  Alma, an IT professional who boarded the train at Pattandur Agrahara Metro Station at around 6.30 pm on Tuesday.

She said passengers were eventually informed through announcements that a technical issue had occurred at Cubbon Park Metro Station and were advised to alight at MG Road Station. Alma added that after getting off at Seetharam palya, she attempted to book an auto-rickshaw through ride-hailing apps. However, with hundreds of stranded commuters trying to secure rides simultaneously, availability was scarce. After waiting for a considerable time, she walked away from the station before finally managing to book an auto, reaching home only at around 10 pm.

Another working professional, Merlin, who also commutes from Pattandur Agrahara Metro Station, confirmed that trains experienced prolonged stoppages at every station. “We were informed that Indiranagar would be the last station. A journey that normally takes about 20 minutes took nearly one hour and ten minutes on Tuesday. Passengers were visibly frustrated, as most of us had places to be and the Metro is our primary mode of transport,” she said. Several commuters reported that securing last-mile transport be came a major challenge after alighting.

Ride-hailing platforms displayed steep surge pricing, while many drivers reportedly declined bookings, seemingly waiting for fares to increase further. “Although it was an inconvenience for me, I am still young. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for elderly travellers or those with emergencies who desperately needed to get somewhere. The stress they went through must have been awful,” said Anju, who was stranded at Majestic while travelling along the Purple Line from Challaghatta.

Bus shortage adds to chaos Passengers also pointed to the limited frequency of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, noting that at several bus stops, the number of waiting commuters far exceeded the available buses. Another regular commuter, Indrajit (name changed), said he opted for a bus after learning about the disruption. “I left Shivajinagar at around 10.30 pm, hoping to reach KR Market and catch another bus from there. But even getting a bus to KR Market was difficult,” he said.

“All the bus stops were overcrowded. When I reached KR Market, it was shocking to see a sea of people waiting for buses. Since there were no buses in sight heading towards the Satellite Bus Stand, I tried booking an auto through multiple apps. “Eventually, I ended up taking a shared auto that charged Rs 50 per person and accommodated six passengers,” he recalled. Indrajit criticised the city's public transport planning, stating that while BMTC covers a vast network of routes, the number and frequency of buses remain inadequate for Bengaluru's growing population.

“Both BMTC and Namma Metro should have robust contingency plans for situations like these,” he suggested. Purple line, including Cubbon Park and MG Road. Office-goers were heading home, several commuters were stranded and were forced to look for alternative modes of transport, including autos and app-based cabs, to reach their destinations. Taking to social media platform 'X', BMRCL in formed that the technical issue encountered at Cubbon Park Metro Station has been successfully rectified by the dedicated Operations and Maintenance team.