Namma Metro Purple Line Disruption: Crowds Swell at Stations, Commuters Stranded for 40 Min

Commuters on Bengaluru Metro's Purple Line, which connects Challaghatta to Whitefield (Kadugodi), faced a harrowing morning on Thursday after a train reportedly came to a halt near Attiguppe station for nearly 30 minutes, triggering widespread delays and confusion during peak hours.

According to multiple passenger posts on X (formerly Twitter), the train heading towards Whitefield (Kadugodi) stopped abruptly after "the track ahead wasn't clear." It was later moved to Vijayanagar, where all passengers were asked to deboard - with no clear communication about the cause of the interruption.

"Pathetic passenger communication! Train halted for half an hour, no announcement from BMRCL," one frustrated commuter wrote.

Another commuter said, "Metro Purple Line has stopped due to some unknown reason. I'm going to be late!" Several others shared visuals of crowded platforms, particularly at BGS Hosahalli, where passengers said the station was "swarming."

Technical Snag Suspected

Preliminary reports from on-ground users suggest a technical snag or signal-related issue may have caused the disruption. But few reports suggest that power supply switch may have tripped inside the train. However, the problem led to cascading delays along the Purple Line - one of Bengaluru Metro's busiest corridors, connecting Challaghatta to Whitefield (Kadugodi).

The delay reportedly lasted for around 40 minutes, stranding hundreds of passengers at intermediate stations.

Meanwhile, an on-train announcement from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) stated, "We apologise for the delay. Further updates will be shared shortly."

The lack of timely updates further fuelled anger among commuters, many of whom called for better real-time communication through public announcements and social media.

"Crowd management and communication are key. Passengers shouldn't have to depend on Twitter to know what's going on," another commuter posted.

Adding to the chaos, security personnel were seen discouraging passenger entry at Silk Institute station, where ticket sales were reportedly halted amid the ongoing disruption.

Commuters also said they were being turned away from Hosahalli station, claiming there had been no metro service for nearly two hours. Many expressed frustration over the lack of announcements or clarity from authorities, questioning how such poor communication could occur during peak hours on a weekday.

A BMRCL spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday that a technical glitch had caused a train to stall between Vijayanagar and Hosahalli at around 9:15 am. As a result, services on the Purple Line between Kempegowda (Majestic) and Challaghatta were temporarily suspended, leading to a cascading delay that also affected operations on the Green Line.

Regular services on the Purple Line up to Mysore Road resumed at 10:15 am, while operations between Mysore Road and Challaghatta are expected to be fully restored by 11:00 am, the statement added.