Bihar man steps on Bengal Metro tracks after dropping token, services disrupted: Report

On Friday, Bengal Metro services on the Purple Line were briefly halted after a passenger dropped his token on the tracks and got down to retrieve it. According to Money Control, the incident took place at Indiranagar Metro station around 9:22 am.

A man gets down on the metro in Bengaluru

The 20-year-old is said to have entered the halls after dropping a chip. The passenger, identified as Ravikanth, was said to be traveling from Indiranagar towards MG Road.

He reached the tracks at platform 2, where he dropped the token, seemingly unintentionally.

According to the publication, it was the man’s first subway trip. The passenger hailed from Bihar and was said to be involved in construction work. “He was riding the metro for the first time. He is from Bihar and was heading to MG Road for construction work,” a source told the news portal.

what happened after that BMRCL responds

After the incident, the Emergency Trip System (ETS) and Emergency Stop Plunger (ESP) were activated by station security personnel. The passenger was reported rescued and later handed over to metro personnel.

In a statement, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) shared, “On Line-1 (Purple Line) at approximately 9.22am, the Emergency Exits (ETS) and Emergency Stop Plungers (ESP) were activated at Indiranagar Metro station after a passenger entered the tracks. The passenger was rescued safely.”

“Train services on the Purple Line were subsequently delayed by approximately 10 minutes. Additionally, several trains on the Green Line were regulated to avoid overcrowding at Kempegowda Majestic Interchange. Normal train services on both lines were resumed from 9:40 am,” it added.

Why is it risky to get on the subway tracks?

The third rail in the metro system is another, electrified rail. Runs along or between standard steel running tracks. It is responsible for supplying direct current (DC) electrical power to the train.

However, it also poses a major security risk as it sits at ground level.

There have been several incidents in the past where passengers fell onto the tracks or got onto the tracks voluntarily. In response to the incident, some people talked about the long-standing requirements for Platform Screens (PSDs).

Reacting to the incident, a user wrote in the comments section of the BMRCL post, “It is high time to install Platform Edge Doors to avoid similar incidents (sic).”

“Most expensive metro in India, hopeless service,” added another.

Currently Namma metro stations are not equipped with PSD.