In a rare early morning incident, approximately twenty-five commuters found themselves stranded inside a Chennai Metro train within an underground tunnel. The event unfolded between the Chennai Central and Madras High Court stations on Tuesday, leading to an unusual evacuation through the tunnel.
Train Halt and Passenger Evacuation
The metro service came to an abrupt halt in the blue corridor connecting Chennai airport with Wimco Nagar. The incident occurred between 5:15 am and 5:45 am, shortly after the train had departed from the Chennai Central underground station. According to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) officials, the train stopped midway because the power supply to its controlling units was completely cut off.
Following standard safety protocols, the train operator immediately alerted the operation control room. Tunnel lights were switched on to facilitate the evacuation. Passengers were then carefully guided to walk through the tunnel to the safety of the Madras High Court metro station. A video of this evacuation process later went viral on social media platforms.
Cause of the Failure: A Rare Dual Battery Malfunction
CMRL officials provided a technical explanation for the unexpected stoppage. They revealed that the controlling unit of the metro trains is powered by batteries. Two batteries are designed to draw power from the source, with one acting as a backup if the other fails.
"In this instance, both batteries failed to power up the control units, which caused the train to stop," explained a CMRL official. The official emphasized that this was the first time such a simultaneous failure had been encountered by the metro system.
Aftermath and Restoration of Services
To ensure everyone's safety, passengers were counted both before leaving the tunnel and upon reaching the station, confirming that all were safely evacuated. The station manager was present to receive them at the High Court station.
Since the train could not be restarted, the defective unit was pulled back to Chennai Central and parked on a siding track. It is scheduled to be moved to the Koyambedu maintenance yard for a thorough technical investigation. Despite the disruption, normal metro operations resumed by 6:20 am, minimizing inconvenience for the wider commuting public.
