Metro trains ran at restricted speed

Thousands of commuters in the national capital were affected and became edgy Tuesday morning as trains on the city’s Metro network ran at slower than usual speeds on the busy routes.

“The trains were running at a slow speed from Vaishali to Rajiv Chowk Metro stations, as there was a minor signalling problem on one part of the line, particularly between Anand Vihar and Vaishali Metro stations between 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon, which led to delay of other trains. The problem was identified and rectified,” a Delhi Metro official said.

According to commuters, trains from Vaishali to Rajiv Chowk Metro station were stopped for around 10 minutes at each station, besides the usual three-minute stops.

“Generally, it takes half an hour to reach Rajiv Chowk from Vaishali. Today, it took me an hour,” said Anuja Singh, a regular commuter.

According to Metro officials, the trains were running at a slow speed of about five to six km an hour on the stretch between Vaishali to Rajiv Chowk Metro stations. “Normally, Metro trains run at a speed of over 30 km per hour,” a Delhi Metro official told IANS.

The slow running of the trains on the line forced many commuters to get off the Metro midway to their destinations and look for other modes of transport.

“I had to reach my office by 11 a.m to meet some clients but the Metro was running so slow. I got off at the Yamuna Bank Metro station and took an auto to my office in Connaught Place,” Pankaj Nirmal, a public relations executive, said.