Delhi Metro faces third technical snag causing overcrowding and chaos
Delhi Metro commuters endured another difficult day as the city’s busiest transit network suffered its third technical snag within a single week, severely disrupting services on the Yellow and Blue lines and causing massive overcrowding across several stations.Officials confirmed that the latest breakdown was linked to a signalling fault, a crucial element of the metro’s automated safety mechanism.
The glitch forced trains to slow down and operate in manual mode between Barakhamba Road and Indraprastha on the Blue Line, resulting in cascading delays. On the Yellow Line, a separate signalling issue at Millennium City Centre in Gurugram delayed the reversal of trains, leading to long waiting times for passengers travelling towards Samaypur Badli.For thousands of daily riders, the disruption translated into real hardship. At interchange hubs such as Rajiv Chowk, Hauz Khas, Kashmere Gate, Mandi House and Yamuna Bank, passengers found themselves jostling for space on overcrowded platforms, with many struggling to even board the trains. Commuters voiced frustration over repeated breakdowns, citing how such interruptions not only waste precious hours but also compromise the reliability of a system that millions depend upon every day.
This was the third major disruption in less than seven days, raising concerns over the resilience of the capital’s most critical public transport infrastructure. A similar fault was recorded on the Yellow Line late last week, further eroding commuter confidence in a system often described as the backbone of Delhi’s urban mobility.Transport experts argue that the recurrence of signalling failures underscores the urgent need for investments in modernisation and predictive maintenance. “Delhi Metro remains a model for sustainable mass transit in India, but the pressure of rising ridership and ageing systems means breakdowns cannot be treated as isolated incidents,” said a transport analyst.
According to them, robust monitoring of digital systems and eco-friendly technology upgrades are essential to ensure the metro continues to support Delhi’s ambitions of being a sustainable, low-carbon city.While the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation assured commuters that technical teams are working round the clock to identify and rectify the glitches, the repeated failures bring into sharp focus the balance between expanding network capacity and ensuring operational resilience. For a city battling traffic congestion and rising air pollution, the metro is not just a convenience but an environmental necessity.For now, Delhi’s daily commuters are left hoping that the network will recover its reliability quickly, as the city cannot afford recurrent failures in its most vital public transit lifeline
