Delhi Metro’s train schedule went haywire in the morning hours today due to large-scale disruption in services owing to a major power failure in the Northern Grid, affecting thousands of passengers who were stranded at various stations.

Services on all six corridors were affected for most part of the morning as trains could not be taken out of depots due to power failure causing severe inconvenience to thousands of commuters who rely on the modern transport system to reach their work places.

Metro services began only at 7 a.m. as against the usual 6 a.m. and only 25 per cent of trains were put in service for the first 90 minutes after which others were inducted gradually.

Thousands of commuters were stranded outside and inside Metro stations as they desperately waited for trains though there were constant announcements about the delay and the cause for it.

As a majority of the trains were taken off services in the morning due to power failure, the frequency of trains dropped to an all-time low of 20 minutes on a few corridors.

“Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., all trains were inducted into passenger services in a phased manner. Regular services were made available on all Metro lines from 9 a.m. onwards,” Delhi Metro spokesman Mr Anuj Dayal said.

However, passengers alleged that the train frequency was very less till noon.

Delhi Metro also get hydel power from Bhutan on priority basis along with power from AIIMS and Prime Minister’s House to run the services, sources said.

Mr Dayal said a team of senior officers from Delhi Metro’s Electrical wing swung into action to ensure that power supply is resumed for Metro at the earliest.

Separate teams were deployed for DMRC’s Control Centres at Shastri Park and Metro Bhawan to supervise the overall situation and to ensure earliest restoration of power supply to DMRC, Mr Dayal said.

Usha, a software engineer, said she waited for more than 30 minutes at Rithala Metro Station to board a Metro train.

“First I heard that trains will not run. However, I managed to get a train. But the train was slow and it took more than an hour for me to reach Kashmere Gate Station,” she said.

Mr Dayal said to manage the crowd at interchange station of Kashmere Gate Metro stations, six trains were planned empty from Vishwavidyalaya to start service from Kashmere Gate with destination to HUDA City Centre.

To manage the crowd at Rajiv Chowk Metro station, three trains were planned empty from Vishwavidyalaya to start service from Rajiv Chowk with destination to HUDA City Centre.

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