Kolkata, Oct.28(HS): Normal services of Kolkata Metro Railways were severely disrupted for more than two hours this afternoon because of a technical snag causing severe inconveniences to large number of passengers on a working day after celebrating Diwali and Kali Puja yesterday.
According to Metro Railway Chief Public Relations Manager Indrani Banerjee, the underground train services on both up and down lines came to a halt at around 12-30 p.m. this afternoon after fire was notices on the high tension third rail at a spot between Rabindra Sadan and Maidan stations and soon the entire channel was filled up with smoke.
But immediately the Metro authorities swung into action and switched off the electricity on the third rail for repairing the effected tracts.
After preliminary investigation they also resumed partial services of the 20 km route from Dum Dum to Central station in the North and From New Garia to Tollygunge in the South at the intervals of 15 minutes.
But after a thorough repair of the effected line when the services in the entire stretch were resumed at around 1- 45 p.m. ,a similar fire was noticed once again from near the same spot forcing the Metro Rail Authorities to suspend the services once again for another about one hour 20 minutes till 2-55 p.m.before resuming it once again after another major repair by the Railway engineers.
‘None of the passenger was injured or fell sick because of the fire or for inhaling smoke’, Banerjee informed Hindusthan Samachar and described the incident as a result of a ‘technical snag’.
‘We have taken immediate steps to clear the rakes of all passengers as well as both the stations as precautionary measures’, she said and urged the people not to pay any heed to any rumours. Banerjee also congratulated the railway engineers for detecting the fault, avert any major disaster and help resuming the normal services at the earliest.
However, a section of passengers at other Metro stations blamed the Railway authorities of non cooperation and for not providing any information to passengers about the incident and possibility of the resumption of normal services leading to huge rush at every station en route besides causing rumours about the nature of the accident.
