In a bizarre and a first-of-its-kind incident in the history of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), one of its trains ran from one station to another with its left doors wide open.
The DMRC immediately suspended the driver of the train for the major security lapse. The incident occurred on the Jehangirpuri- Huda City Centre line between Arjangarh and Ghitorni stations. Around 9:40 am, a train started from Arjangarh station on the elevated corridor with its doors open. DMRC officials realised the blunder only after the train reached Ghitorni, the next stop.
“Prima facie, it is an error by the train operator and he has been suspended with immediate effect. The matter is being investigated,” a DMRC spokesperson said. The commuters, however, remained calm and no one pushed the panic button. Some of the commuters even captured the incident on their mobile phones and circulated the video clip on social networking websites.
The Delhi Metro website says the coaches have automatic door opening and closing mechanism and that a train cannot move unless all the doors were closed and locked.
“If a door opens accidentally in the moving train, brakes will apply automatically, bringing the train to a halt,” it says. But this clearly did not happen on Thursday, raising questions about the safety measures adopted by the DMRC.
Meanwhile, travel on the Airport Express Metro Line will become pocket-friendly by 40 per cent from July 24, the Delhi Metro announced on Thursday, bringing cheer to residents of west Delhi.
The prohibitive fares of the line had kept at bay a large number of middle class travellers.
The minimum fare on the line will now be Rs 20 instead of Rs 30 and the maximum fare will come down to Rs 100 from Rs 180, according to DMRC Executive Director (Corporate Communications) Anuj Dayal.
The frequency and speed of the trains have been increased and the distance between the airport and New Delhi station can now be covered in 19 minutes.