The delay cause overcrowding at stations as trains ran at increased 20 minute intervals
Trains on Delhi Metro's Magenta Line were delayed by more than 30 minutes today morning, with services affected by what the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) called a "technical snag". The delay led to trains running at 20 minute intervals instead of the usual 10, and scenes of overcrowding.
The Magenta Line runs from the Janakpuri West station to Botanical Gardens in Noida. Under normal conditions, the journey - a distance of approximately 40 kilometres - takes 56 minutes to complete.
"The snag occurred sometime around 7 am between Palam and Terminal 1 stations, leading to a delay in services between Janakpuri West and Terminal 1 IGI Airport stations," a senior DMRC official said.
The delay, which also caused chaos in roads around affected metro stations as commuters looked for alternative transport options, was not well received by Metro users, who responded on Twitter.
One irritated Twitter user also reminded DMRC that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), had overcame a technical snag to successfully launch the Rs 1,000-crore Chandrayaan 2 Moon mission yesterday afternoon.
Approximately two hours after its original message, the DMRC tweeted again to indicate the problem had been resolved and "normal services have resumed".
Commuters using the services disagreed.
The delay comes within days of a similar delay on the Magenta Line.
On July 14, services were disrupted due to a technical issue, leading to a single line train movement between R K Puram and Kalkaji. The delay led to trains running between shortened loops - between Jankapuri West and RK Puram, and Botanical Gardens and Kalkaji.
"Technical snags" also hit the Magenta Line in May, causing trains to run at restricted speeds.