Delhi metro services affected for over six hours, commuters face hardships

Delhi Metro services disrupted for hours due to cable theft, causing delays and overcrowding, sparking concerns over safety.

Services of the Blue Line of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) were disrupted for over six hours on Thursday after around 140 metres of signalling cables between Moti Nagar and Kirti Nagar stations were found to be stolen, an official said.

The police have registered a case under Section 303 (2) (theft), 329 (3) (criminal trespass) of the BNS.

The matter came to light when the signalling controller of the DMRC informed the police at 6 a.m about the theft. At 8 am, the DMRC announced that the services were being affected. They were resumed at 1.38 p.m.

The Blue Line’s metro stations, connecting Dwarka with Vaishali and Noida City Centre, witnessed long waiting queues and overcrowding as the trains travelled with reduced speed, from 70 to 20-30 kmph, decreasing the frequency.

DMRC’s principal executive director, Anuj Dayal, told The Hindu the restoration was carried out in the afternoon, keeping in view the heavy rush in the morning and evening hours. The maintenance personnel were able to restore the services at the affected section within 30 minutes. In the meantime, services continued on other track, ensuring two-way movement of the train, he explained.

A senior Delhi Police officer told The Hindu that, on average, 40 metro cable theft cases are reported yearly. The officer added that a gang has been working in an organised manner, employing teenagers to commit these thefts.

A senior DMRC official said the metro cables have high-quality copper and fetch good value in the scrap market. It is difficult to monitor the entire stretch due to its vast length and breadth and metro operations being shut in the night,” the official added.