Chennai Metro train stalls inside tunnel; passengers walk 500 metres to safety

A Chennai Metro train stalled in an underground tunnel near Central station early Tuesday, forcing passengers to walk nearly 500 metres to High Court station. CMRL said a technical fault caused the disruption, which delayed services for over half an hour.

Chennai: A Chennai Metro train on the Blue Line was stranded inside a tunnel near Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro early Tuesday morning, forcing passengers to walk nearly 500 metres to safety after services came to an abrupt halt due to a technical snag.

According to passengers, the train was heading from Chennai International Airport to Wimco Nagar when it suddenly stopped between Central Metro and High Court stations. The incident occurred close to 500 metres from the Central Railway Station stretch, inside the underground tunnel.

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Commuters reported that the lights went off momentarily and the train became immobile, creating panic among those onboard. For nearly ten minutes, passengers said they felt “trapped” inside the stalled rake with no clarity on what had gone wrong.

Videos shared from inside the train showed commuters holding onto handrails and peering outside in confusion as they waited for information from the control room. Eventually, an onboard announcement informed passengers that the train could not be moved immediately and that they would need to walk to the nearest station — High Court — through the walkway inside the tunnel.

Chennai Metro Rail staff and technical personnel arrived promptly to assist the evacuation. Passengers, including women and elderly commuters, were guided carefully along the emergency walkway for approximately 500 metres before reaching High Court Metro station, where additional staff were deployed to handle the situation.

The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) later confirmed that the disruption was caused by a technical fault, possibly related to a momentary power outage. Technical teams rectified the issue, following which services on the Blue Line were restored.

In an official statement shared on X, CMRL said: “Metro train services between Airport and Wimco Nagar Depot on the Blue Line have resumed normal operation. Services between Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MG Ramachandran Central Metro and St. Thomas Mount on the Green Line are also running as per schedule. We regret the inconvenience caused.”

The breakdown, which lasted for more than half an hour, caused significant discomfort to passengers, many of whom were on their morning commute. While normal services have resumed, CMRL has initiated an internal assessment to determine the exact cause of the glitch and to prevent similar incidents in future.