Metro services hit at Blue Line corridor due to trade fair rush

NEW DELHI: Delhi Metro services on Blue Line, the busiest corridor, were severely hit on Wednesday owing to "excessive" passenger rush at the Pragati Maidan station due to the ongoing India International Trade Fair.

Passengers travelling on this over 50-km-long section, that connects Dwarka to Noida, were left stranded for long durations, in cases stretching to an hour.

Trade fair is witnessing a large crowd due to Guru Nanak Jayanti being a holiday.

"Due to excessive crowd at Pragati Maidan station, trains are halting for more than 20 seconds, which is the usual duration. This is because doors are not shutting on time," a senior metro official said.

Metro train cannot move if automated gates are shut.

Impatient commuters vented their frustration on the authorities, wondering why they could not at least make announcements stating the reason for the delay.

"A 20 minutes journey from Mayur Vihar to Mandi House took me around an hour. Trains were halting for around 7-10 minutes in each station till Pragati Maidan," a commuter said.

Last Sunday, ridership in Pragati Maidan till 8 PM had touched 97,532, a metro official said. Over 1 lakh trade fair tickets were sold across metro stations on that day.

Blue Line is considered to be snag-prone.