For the third time this month, commuters on Kolkata's Blue Line metro faced significant service disruptions on Thursday morning, creating chaos during the peak office and school hours. The recurring technical issues have raised concerns about the reliability of the city's crucial metro network.
Morning Commute Thrown Into Disarray
Services were severely impacted due to an unexpected technical snag, with the first train of the day getting stuck at Rabindra Sadan station. This forced metro authorities to implement truncated services and halt operations between Maidan and Tollygunge stations for a substantial 42 minutes.
Passengers Bear the Brunt
Office-bound commuters and school students found themselves at the receiving end of these disruptions, with many failing to reach their workplaces and educational institutions on time. Hundreds of passengers were left stranded as services in the critical Maidan–Tollygunge section, which includes Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station, remained unavailable during the morning rush.
A statement from Metro authorities explained: "Due to unscheduled preventive maintenance work between Rabindra Sadan and Netaji Bhavan, Metro services are being operated between Maidan and Dakshineswar, as well as Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Shahid Khudiram (Briji), from 7.35 am. Normal services over the entire stretch of the Blue Line resumed from 8.17 am."
A Pattern of Recurring Issues
This incident marks the third technical disruption on the Blue Line within January alone, highlighting a concerning pattern of reliability issues:
- January 13: Problems on the same section led to suspension of services between Maidan and Tollygunge when the first train of the day could not proceed beyond a point after Netaji Bhavan station due to a power-related issue. The train, filled with passengers, had to be driven back to Netaji Bhavan (Bhowanipore) station.
- January 5: Services between Dakshineswar and Tollygunge were snapped because of another technical snag.
- December 28: A Shahid Khudiram-bound train stopped before entering Tollygunge (Mahanayak Uttam Kumar) station, causing significant inconvenience to scores of passengers, including numerous schoolchildren.
Growing Concerns Among Regular Commuters
The frequency of these disruptions has left regular metro users increasingly frustrated and concerned about the dependability of their daily commute. The Blue Line serves as a vital transportation artery for thousands of Kolkatans, connecting important residential, commercial, and educational hubs across the city.
These repeated technical failures not only disrupt individual schedules but also impact the city's overall productivity, with office workers arriving late and students missing important classes. The situation calls for a thorough investigation into the underlying causes of these recurring technical issues and implementation of more robust preventive maintenance protocols.
