Is Delhi Metro’s busy Blue Line crumbling under pressure?

NEW DELHI: A track circuit failure, a tin sheet stuck in the overhead wiring and a snag in the automated fare collection (AFC) gates — all within a week — has not

NEW DELHI: A track circuit failure, a tin sheet stuck in the overhead wiring and a snag in the automated fare collection (AFC) gates — all within a week — has not only caused inconvenience to commuters but also dented Delhi Metro’s image as a reliable public transport system.

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Frequent snags in Delhi Metro, especially on the Blue Line (Dwarka-Noida/Vaishali), have become a routine these days.

On Monday morning, passengers at the Vaishali Metro station had to wait for an hour to get into the station because of a snag in the AFC gates. Last Friday, trains ran slow throughout the day due to a technical snag.

“It is the longest route and most of it is exposed to nature. The problem in overhead wires happens because of change in season. Because of heat and frequent thunderstorms, this line is the most vulnerable. The track circuit problem occurs because of variation in temperature,” said a DMRC official, requesting anonymity.

Technical snags is not the only problem ailing the line. With over 50kmof network, five interchange stations and 30% increase in the expected ridership, the longest and busiest line of Metro is unable to take the load.

Officials said the AFC gates can handle 17 passengers per minute and at present it handles 11 per minute on an average. But during peak hours, the figure could go well beyond 17.

“The wires are in the open and even when a kite or bird gets stuck, Metro operation is affected. Also the growth is more than expected due to which at many stations the waiting time is more than what it should be. Since, majority of the interchange stations are on this line, passengers travelling in Delhi Metro trains have to come to this line. All things combined have led to frequent snags,” said a Delhi Metro official, requesting anonymity.