Smoke from Metro rake throws passengers into a tizzy

Kolkata: Tension ran high among passengers travelling in Metro after they detected smoke coming out of a non-AC rake at Park Street.

The incident led to disruption of Metro service for nearly 10 minutes. It took place at around 10:40 am on Monday when a Dum Dum bound train was entering the Park Street station. The commuters spotted smoke billowing out of a non-AC rake.

The matter was immediately reported to the senior officials of the station. The train was stopped and Metro authorities evacuated all the passengers travelling in the train to avoid any untoward incident. Many of the office-goers were seriously inconvenienced.

Some of the passengers, however, opted for other options to reach their workplaces. When Metro services resumed, Dum Dum bound trains were overcrowded. As a result, many passengers failed to board the next few trains. Train services resumed at around 10:50 am after the non-AC rake was taken to the car shed.

Eye-witnesses said that there were electrical sparks when the train arrived at the station. The smoke was first detected by the passengers who alerted the motorman. Metro services were disrupted for nearly 10 minutes in the UP line.

Senior officials and engineers rushed to the spot and examined the cause of smoke. According to the preliminary investigation, the smoke might have been caused due to some technical problems. The train was taken to the car shed for further examination. The exact cause of smoke is yet to be ascertained.

After today's incident, some of the daily commuters raised questions on the maintenance of both AC and non-AC rakes which are plied between Noapara and Kavi Subhash stations. The Metro railway authorities will look into the matter to ascertain if there was any negligence which might have caused the incident.