Heavy rain and strong winds disrupted Bengaluru Metro services on Thursday evening after metal sheets reportedly fell onto tracks at two locations on the Purple Line.
The incident affected train movement during peak office hours and left thousands of commuters stranded across Metro stations.
The disruption led to massive overcrowding at several Metro stations, with many passengers claiming they had to wait up to 45 minutes for trains as delays spread across the network.
According to officials, train operations were briefly halted after metal sheets from nearby structures reportedly landed on the tracks due to gusty winds and bad weather conditions.
The obstruction was reported near Hoodi and also along the stretch between Benniganahalli and Byappanahalli Metro stations, affecting Purple Line services during one of the busiest travel hours of the day.
As Metro trains began running behind schedule, commuters faced packed platforms, delayed trains and overcrowded coaches across several stations.
Long waits, packed stations leave commuters frustrated
Many passengers took to social media to complain about the delays and worsening crowd situation inside stations and trains.
“The crowd was so much at MG Road Metro station that we decided to cross over to the other side, take the train to Trinity and take one more train towards Majestic,” a passenger said.
Another commuter described how the disruption also pushed up transport costs outside Metro stations.
“I left Trinity Meto station hoping to hail an auto home and ended up paying almost Rs 700 to get a ride to K R Puram. This is thrice the amount I paid to get home.”
Some passengers said station display boards initially showed delays of around seven minutes, but the waiting time kept increasing as services slowed further.
Many commuters also claimed that announcements at stations remained unclear while crowds continued to build during the evening rush.
BMRCL cites rain, poor visibility and strong winds
In a statement, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd said heavy rain and storm-like conditions had impacted train movement across Metro lines.
The corporation said trains were being operated at reduced speeds because of poor visibility and strong winds in order to ensure passenger safety.
Typically, Metro services during peak hours run at a frequency of around three to five minutes. However, reduced train speeds and temporary stoppages led to delays cascading across the network.
BMRCL has not yet clarified from which buildings or structures the metal sheets fell.
Bengaluru Metro usually witnesses a sharp rise in passenger rush during rainy weather as commuters prefer trains over the city’s traffic-clogged roads. Thursday’s disruption, however, left many stranded both inside stations and on roads searching for alternative transport options.