Chennai Metro Halts Inside Tunnel; Passengers Forced to Walk on Tracks After Sudden Breakdown

A Chennai Metro Blue Line train suddenly stalled inside an underground tunnel near Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro station early Tuesday, forcing passengers to walk nearly 500 meters to safety amid panic and confusion.​

Incident Details

The train, traveling from Chennai International Airport to Wimco Nagar, stopped between Central Metro and High Court stations, about 500 meters from Central Railway Station. Lights flickered off briefly, leaving commuters trapped for around 10 minutes without immediate updates, heightening anxiety among office-goers, students, women, and elderly passengers.​

Passenger Evacuation

An onboard announcement directed passengers to use the emergency walkway to the High Court station. Metro staff and technicians quickly arrived, guiding the group safely through the dimly lit tunnel under emergency lighting, with additional personnel at the station to assist.​

Official Response and Restoration

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) mentioned that the problem was caused due to a technical fault, possibly a momentary power outage, which occurred during the rainy weather in the city. By 6:20 AM, the Blue Line (Airport-Wimco Nagar) and the Green Line were back to normal operations, with CMRL showing their regret through X and simultaneously conducting an internal investigation to rule out such incidents in the future. ​

Impact on Commuters

A major disruption of half an hour occurred during the peak hours, and many commuters got stuck in the crowded area. This was already a very tense situation, and the safety measures were shown, but still, the concern about the monsoon’s reliability came up.

ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu on Red Alert: Cyclone Ditwah to Bring Intense Rainfall, Chennai Most Affected