Nightmare Launch for Lucknow Metro, 2 Trains Abandon Trips

Lucknow: Multiple snags ruined the maiden run of the Lucknow Metro on Wednesday morning with hundreds of panicked passengers evacuated from stalled trains near Mawaiyya and Alambagh stations.

The train near Mawaiyya halted for nearly half an hour near a sharp 40-degree turn. It resumed for a few minutes, but came to a complete stop again, following which the passengers were rescued via the emergency exits. The train then had to be towed away by another one to clear the track.

In Alambagh station, the passengers were stranded in the train for near 25 minutes before being rescued. They, however, complained that their tokens and smart cards did not work while exiting the station.

The episode left several passengers angry as some had to miss their flights, while others were late to schools and offices. Gaurav Tripathi, a passengers who missed his flight to Delhi, told News18 that he would write to the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) and demand that it compensate him for the air ticket.

Mohan Pandey, a senior citizen and a sugar patient, said he had to lie down on the train’s floor as he started feeling uneasy.

(Image: Qazi Faraz Ahmad/News18)

MLRC Managing Director Kumar Keshav said, “We have received the information about technical snag and our teams are already on the spot to resolve the issue.”

“Around 7.15am, a train that was on way from Charbagh to Transport Nagar developed a technical snag. The emergency brakes were applied. All 101 passengers were taken out through the emergency exit door aand were taken to Transport Nagar,” said a LMRC statement.

LMRC insisted that Metro train services are, however, running normally between Transport Nagar and Charbagh. The Transport Nagar Metro station has been closed for passengers as of now.

The Lucknow Metro took to the tracks on Tuesday with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh taking the inaugural ride. The commercial run of the Lucknow Metro began on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Samajwadi Party workers shouted slogans outside the Transport Nagar station and claimed credit for the Metro construction. Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

The 8.5-km ‘priority corridor’ runs from Transport Nagar to Charbagh in the city.

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