Kolkata: Commuters on Kolkata Metro’s North-South corridor (Blue Line) endured disruptions twice on Monday, the first working day of the week, as two separate power supply glitches in the third-rail system threw services off track in the morning and evening.
The first fault occurred at the start of the day, when a third-rail power supply problem at the Noapara carshed prevented rakes from being injected into the network. This delayed the day’s first train from Dakshineswar, which was scheduled to leave at 7:00 am, but finally departed at 7:54 am. The first service from Dum Dum towards Shahid Khudiram departed at 7:30 am, ahead of Dakshineswar’s departure but still behind schedule.
“The first train from Dum Dum towards Shahid Khudiram departed at 7:30 am, followed by the first service from Dakshineswar at 7:54 am. In between, several other trains were operated from Dum Dum and Noapara once the rakes could be brought out after the problem was resolved,” a Metro official said.
The morning disruption was confined to the Down line (Shahid Khudiram-bound), while Up services from Shahid Khudiram to Dakshineswar ran normally.
The second snag struck at 5:21 pm between Noapara and Dum Dum, affecting services again. During the disruption, trains operated only between Shahid Khudiram and Girish Park in both directions. The third-rail power fault was rectified by 5:29 pm, after which normal services resumed across the entire stretch.
In both cases, passengers reported that even after services resumed, trains faced prolonged halts at several stations, causing irregular intervals. Overcrowded platforms and jam-packed coaches compounded the inconvenience.