Technical snag disrupts underground Mumbai Metro 3 services twice in one day; hundreds of commuters stranded inside trains and on platforms

Mumbai: Technical snags disrupted the underground Mumbai Metro 3 services twice on Friday, for nearly an hour each in the morning and afternoon, leaving hundreds of commuters — particularly office-goers — stranded and frustrated over what many described as a lack of clear communication on when the Aqua Line operations would normalise.The first disruption began around 8.30am and continued till about 9.30am, coinciding with peak commuting hours. A second snag was reported around 12.30pm and lasted for nearly an hour. Commuters said the delays and uncertainty triggered crowding at stations, even as trains ran at reduced speeds.A Metro Line 3 official attributed the disruption to a “technical malfunction of the control system” that manages the underground train operations. “Due to the snag in the control system, the train speed was drastically slowed — dropping from 80-85 kmph to 20-25 kmph. This impacted the frequency and the train arrivals were delayed at stations,” the official said.Passengers reported waiting for extended periods for trains that arrived infrequently and moved slowly. One commuter said he waited nearly half an hour for a train, only to find it crawling along the route. As delays mounted, Metro staff at several stations reportedly restricted passenger entry to platforms, with slow-moving trains running almost empty. At some locations, including CSMT, commuters were stopped even before the ticketing area to prevent overcrowding.The disruption hit hardest during the morning rush, when the Aqua Line has increasingly become a preferred alternative to buses and taxis for office commuters. Several passengers took to social media to complain about the absence of announcements and real-time updates. One commuter tweeted: “No Aqua line trains from Aarey JVLR for Cuffe Parade.. @MumbaiMetro3. No announcement, no support why??? Also yet not updated/notified on your own app taking consumers granted for everything.” Another posted on X: “No communication on when services will resume and utter chaos. The least expected is timely updates at stations so people are not left stranded and confused. @MumbaiMetro3.”A security personnel at Kalbadevi Metro station said the disruption also affected station utilities briefly. “Technical issue hua tha, lights band ho gayi thi,” the officer said, adding that cooling systems on the platform were impacted for some time, further agitating passengers. She said office-goers were seen shouting at the ticket counter, demanding to meet senior officials and questioning the credentials of staff present, contributing to the chaos.Later in the day, Mumbai Metro 3 issued an advisory on social media stating: “Due to a technical issue, train services are experiencing delays at both downline and upline ways. Fault has been rectified and normal services will be restored earliest. Passengers are requested to kindly remain patient during this time. We regret the inconvenience caused.”(With inputs from Meghna Rewachand & Srimoyee Palit)