Purple Line: Metro trains stop for 30 mins after intruder spotted near elevated track

Bengaluru: No metro trains ran between Challaghatta and Nayandahalli for half an hour on Tuesday afternoon after an intruder was spotted walking along the viaduct. 

The disruption affected four train services between 3 pm and 3.30 pm, said Shankar AS, Executive Director (Operations and Maintenance), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). 

The man was spotted by a security guard during foot patrolling between the Jnanabharathi and Pattangere stations. Given the gravity of the situation, the BMRCL decided to switch off the power supply to the third rail and stop all train services between Chalaghatta and Nayandahalli, Shankar told DH. 

The third rail, a yellow track running next to the main tracks, supplies power to metro trains through 750V direct current. Any contact with the third rail can be fatal. 

By the time a search operation was launched for the intruder, he had escaped. "We are looking for him," Shankar added. 

Train services ran as usual between Mysuru Road and Whitefield, he said. 

This was the fourth disruption on the Purple Line since January. 

Previous three disruptions    

1) On February 20, a technical snag disrupted trains for nearly four hours.

2) A similar problem halted the services on January 27.

3) On January 5, services were stopped between Yeshwantpur and Nagasandra on the Green Line after a passenger jumped on the track.