Bengaluru: With Metro services on Purple Line suddenly coming to a halt on Tuesday evening due to a technical snag, hundreds of commuters took to social media to express anger and frustration. Their primary target was BMRCL’s lack of communication on the status of services, real-time updates or likely time of resumption.What should have been a clocklike commute during rush hour descended into chaos around 6.30pm. Thousands of commuters found themselves stranded on platforms across Bengaluru’s Purple Line — Majestic, MG Road, Indiranagar, Hoodi and KR Puram.“Just pathetic! It is just a train — how hard is it to handle? Got stuck for more than an hour; eventually, parents had to struggle and get a cab,” wrote Yuvaraj on X. Another commuter, Surekha Roy, described the chaos at Majestic station: “I’ve been stuck for 45 minutes with no sign of a train. To make matters worse, there’s barely any phone network, leaving commuters completely stranded and without information.”It was the radio silence on the part of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd that angered passengers, who said BMRCL acknowledged the snag on its official social media channels an hour after the problem halted the services.“You guys didn’t even announce. It’s been more than an hour since people are stuck,” posted Nilisha Mantri. Sajith Balagopalan questioned why passengers were left waiting without updates. “Why is there no SOP to inform passengers when a train is delayed by more than 10 minutes? Explaining the reason can come later. Passengers should at least be alerted about the delay. We waited 30-40 minutes before an official with a walkie-talkie finally informed us. What age are we living in?” he asked.Sowmya G, who was travelling from Swami Vivekananda Road to Kengeri, said, “I got on the train at 7.15 pm and it reached the next station, Indiranagar. After that, the train did not move. Around 8.30 pm, we were asked to get off the train and leave the station. I was forced to look for alternatives in a chaotic situation.”Others found themselves stranded both inside trains and on tracks between stations. “I boarded the metro at 6.35pm from Hoodi station. I was stuck in a packed train at KR Puram for more than an hour. The train eventually moved out of the station but stopped again on the track. We were later told to deboard at Indiranagar as the train would not go any further,” said commuter Aritra Podder Sengupta.As the evening progressed, stations became increasingly packed. Eventually, authorities began asking commuters to make alternative transport arrangements.‘With AC on, it’s like sitting inside a fridge’A long wait inside overcrowded coaches left many passengers exhausted. Several passengers complained of being hungry and thirsty. “Please arrange food and water. Starving,” wrote one commuter in response to BMRCL’s social media post. “Standing crammed inside a static train for two hours is physically draining,” said Praveen Narayana. AC inside coaches became a point of contention. “It feels like we’re sitting inside a refrigerator,” said Subhaschandra Hegde on X.Autos, cabs fill inWith Metro at a standstill, many commuters hired autorickshaws and cabs to complete their journey. “I got stuck near Nallurhalli. I ended up taking an auto to my destination,” said Manish Kumar Rai. A surge in demand quickly emptied autorickshaw and cab stands near several crowded Metro stations, including MG Road. While absence of BMTC services worsened the situation, ride-hailing app fares seemed to remain normal.Intercity commuters affectedDisruption hit intercity commuters, who travel into Bengaluru from neighbouring towns for work. “I’m stuck at Indiranagar and am unable to find an autorickshaw. I was planning to hop on to Tuticorin Express to reach Hosur,” said Lingan, a commuter, highlighting the ripple effect of the breakdown beyond regular office-hour travel.Purple riders kept outAt Majestic, authorities restricted entry to manage the disruption by not allowing Purple Line commuters into the station. Only Green Line passengers were permitted inside. The entry-exit connecting the Majestic Bus Stand and the Metro station was also closed for Purple Line users. As a result, many commuters opted to travel as far as possible on the Green Line before switching to autos, cabs or other transport modes to reach their destinations.Chaos turns entertainmentWhen the train doesn’t move, your mobile camera does. Commuters turned disruption into reels and put them out on social media platforms. Captions like ‘Metro stopped? Time for content’ and ‘No Bangalore day is complete without drama’ captured the mood online.
