Metro Magenta Line runs slow, thousands hit

Delhi Metro's Magenta Line ran slow on Tuesday due to a technical fault, forcing many commuters to leave the train and take other forms of transport to continue their journey.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) said the problem was caused due to some "foreign material" noticed in the viaduct because of overnight windstorm.

The problem hit the section going to Botanical Garden in Noida. The Metro said the problem arose between Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport and Shankar Vihar stations.

Accordingly, the speed of the trains was brought down to 30 kmph from 8 a.m. The Metro said only a small section was hit due to "slower movement" of trains due to "precautionary speed restriction".

But a regular metro rider, N. Vidya, told IANS that the Magenta Line ran very slow in the morning compared to normal days.

"I travel from Palam to Malviya Nagar every day and back. Since the Magenta Line started, I have been super thankful to DMRC as my travel time has been reduced from 1.15 hours to just 30 minutes. But today the train halted one to two minutes as each station," she said.

The delays took place with sometime the door remaining open and at other times opening and shutting twice or thrice.

"The crowd inside the train was increasing. Some people were getting off to take an auto or cab. Even at the interchange station of Hauz Khas, the platform door opened instantaneously as the metro halted but the train door opened after a delay of 5-7 seconds," she added.

--IANS

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