Lightning-induced fire affects Metro services in peak hours

Metro Railway services were disrupted during evening peak hours Wednesday due to a lightning-induced fire at its Tollygunge yard, an official said here.

Power was switched off to the third rail, which supplies electricity to trains, leading to stoppage of Metro services for over half an hour from 5.41 pm to 6.14 pm, Metro spokesperson Indrani Banerjee said.

She, however, said services were maintained in one section - between Maidan and Dum Dum stations - during the period of disruption.

The fire had broken out on a wall of the yard in south Kolkata owing to a lightning strike.

Fire services officials asked the Metro Railway authorities to switch off power to the third rail to enable them to douse the blaze, Banerjee said.

Fire Brigade sources said three fire tenders were pressed into service to bring the flames under control.

A spark in the third rail at Tollygunge station had disrupted Metro services for over half an hour in the afternoon Tuesday.

The Metro Railway has been affected by frequent technical snags of late.