Metro commuters in the Millennium City were left stranded on Tuesday as the service was disrupted on the second consecutive day after three major power transmission grids collapsed.
The service was restored after two hours. But thousands of commuters were left at the mercy of autorickshaw drivers and private bus operators who tried their best to take advantage of the crisis by over-charging their passengers.
"Owing to the unexpected breakdown of power supply from northern power grid, Metro services on all lines remained suspended from 1.02pm to 02.50pm on Tuesday. To ensure the safety of passengers, the DMRC immediately evacuated all passengers from trains and stations. The entire Metro system was declared closed to avoid any inconvenience to the public," said a Metro spokesperson.
However, crowds was seen outside all the five Metro stations in Gurgaon as people were not aware of the closure of the facility. Most of the commuters came to know about the DMRC decision when they found stations closed and notices were put on the shutter informing about the power grid failure.
The disruption of Metro services led to over-crowding of buses as people struggled to reach their destinations.
Noida passengers Trapped in trains
{{/usCountry}}Noida passengers Trapped in trains
{{/usCountry}}As the Metro services came to a halt, commuters had a harrowing time as thousands remained trapped in coaches. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had to use its emergency power back-up to get the halted trains to nearby stations and de-board passengers.
Entry to stations and security checking counters were closed and trains stood still on the tracks — some even inside tunnels. Services resumed partially only after 3pm.