Services on the busy Blue Line of the Kolkata Metro were severely disrupted for nearly an hour on Sunday evening following a distressing suicide attempt at a key station. The incident caused significant inconvenience to thousands of commuters during the peak evening hours.
Incident Halts Trains During Peak Hours
The disruption began at precisely 6:32 PM at Netaji Bhavan station. According to Metro Railway authorities, a man attempted to end his life by jumping in front of a moving train. In response to the emergency, metro staff immediately implemented a safety protocol. They took the critical step of initiating a power block by switching off the third rail, which supplies electricity to the trains. This action was necessary to safely rescue the individual from the tracks but brought all movement to a standstill in the affected section.
Truncated Services and Commuter Chaos
For the next 50 minutes, metro operations were severely curtailed. Truncated services were run only between Maidan and Dakshineswar, and between Shahid Khudiram and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar stations. The crucial Maidan to Tollygunge section remained completely non-operational while rescue efforts were underway.
The sudden suspension left many passengers stranded. Urmila Deb, a nurse at a private nursing home on Southern Avenue, shared her ordeal. "I arrived at Kudghat (Netaji Bhavan station) around 6:45 PM only to discover that services were running only from Shahid Khudiram to Tollygunge," she said. Forced to find an alternative to reach her night duty, she had to book an app-based cab, which cost her an unexpected Rs 350.
Return to Normalcy and Safety Contrast
Full normal services on the entire Blue Line corridor were finally restored at 7:22 PM, as confirmed by an official statement from the Metro Railway. The incident has once again highlighted the vulnerability of the system to such tragic events and their ripple effect on urban mobility.
In a pointed contrast, the statement also mentioned that the newer Green Line (East-West Metro) is equipped with Platform Screen Doors (PSD). These physical barriers are designed specifically to prevent people from falling or jumping onto the tracks, thereby enhancing passenger safety and minimizing service disruptions caused by such incidents.
While the immediate crisis was managed, the event underscores the ongoing challenges faced by mass rapid transit systems in ensuring both passenger safety and uninterrupted service in a densely populated city like Kolkata.
