Kochi: Metro train services in Kochi were partially disrupted for nearly an hour and a half on Wednesday morning due to a technical glitch. According to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), the disruption started at approximately 7.40 am on an Aluva-bound train departing from Tripunithura. Just before reaching the MG Road station, the train experienced a malfunction involving the automatic engagement of the braking system. 

Recognising the fault, operators carefully manoeuvred the train at a significantly reduced speed into the MG Road station to ensure passenger safety. Upon arrival, all commuters were deboarded at the platform.

“For around 15 minutes, the service was completely stopped. To clear the line, a rescue train was dispatched from Muttom metro yard to the site to tow the faulty one. The train was eventually coupled and moved to the Muttom station, which features a three-track layout suitable for such recovery operations. In a move to minimise further delays, the passengers who had been offloaded at MG Road were permitted to board the rescue train to reach their final destinations.

The incident caused considerable stress for the morning crowd, as the technical snag occurred during the peak hours when officegoers and students heavily rely on the service. During the recovery process, other trains on the entire 21-km corridor were forced to operate at a restricted speed of 10 km/h, a sharp decline from the average operational speed of 32 km/h and a maximum of up to 70 km/h on certain stretches. 

“Normally, the train stops for less than a minute at stations for passengers to board or deboard. However, today it seemed to take much longer. The speed was also too low,” said Silpa L, a passenger.

While the primary fault was identified as a technical engagement of the automatic brakes, KMRL authorities confirmed that the issue was fully resolved by 9.15 am, allowing trains to resume their normal schedules across the network.