Snag hits Kochi Metro services during morning rush hour

Kochi: Thousands of commuters across the city were affected after a major technical glitch crippled Metro operations during morning rush hour, leaving passengers grappling with significant delays for nearly 1.5 hours.The automatic braking system of one coach of a train from Tripunithura to Aluva malfunctioned near MG Road station around 7.40am, effectively halting the train and creating a ripple effect across the line."Due to a technical error, the braking system was on. The train could be moved only at a slow pace, around 10kmph against the average speed of 30kmph, to the nearest MG Road station. The passengers deboarded there," said Metro authorities.As it was peak rush hour, major stations saw high footfall in another 20 minutes. Desperate commuters, especially office-goers, opted for ride-sharing apps and autorickshaws, leading to a secondary surge in road traffic and predatory "surge pricing" from private aggregators."A rescue train was brought to the station and pulled the affected car to Muttom Metro yard at a slow pace. The stranded passengers also boarded the rescue train. Once the affected three-car coach was shifted to Muttom yard entrance, the rescue train conducted service upto Aluva," they added.Metro operations stopped for around 20 minutes, before the trains began moving at a slow speed as the affected coach was being moved to the yard. "After around 45 minutes, the trains began to proceed at the normal speed. The situation returned to normalcy around 9.15am," said the authorities.