Snag hits Delhi Metro's Red Line, Shahdara-Dilshad Garden services suspended for 2.5 hours

NEW DELHI: Services were suspended between Shahdara and Dilshad Garden stations of Delhi Metro this evening for nearly two-and-a-half-hours after the overhead electrification (OHE) segment broke down at two sites on the Red Line leaving scores of passengers stranded, officials said.
The breakdown took place around 7 pm and was restored after hours of efforts, a senior DMRC official said.
The incident also led to delay in train services on both sides of the corridor, with many passengers deboarding the train and taking cabs to reach their destination.
"OHE breakdown were noticed at two locations on the Red Line, near Welcome and Dilshad Garden stations since 7 pm.
"Services were not available on Shahadara-Dilshad Garden section till the OHE is restored. Engineers were on the job and the problem was rectified at 9.22 pm on both the locations. We are yet to ascertain the cause of the incident," a senior DMRC official said.
Meanwhile, a dust storm hit Delhi-NCR tonight after a humid day, but, the official said, one doesn't know at the moment, if the breakdown was caused by it.
The DMRC said services on the Shahdara-Rithala section were delayed due to the incident.
The Red Line spans one of the busiest route of the metro from Dilshad Garden in east Delhi to Rithala in western part of the capital. There are 21 station on it with interchange at Kashmere Gate (with Yellow Line) and Inderlok (with Green Line).
Two stations -- Mansarovar Park and Jhilmil -- fall between Shahdara and Dilshad Garden stations.
"I was stranded at a Kashmere Gate platform for a long time as the train came after a gap of about 15 minutes and then after boarding it, the train was stopping for longer hours than usual at successive stations," Nisha, a working woman who regularly commutes between home and workplace using metro, said.
"At Pulbangash station, it stopped for nearly 25-30 minutes. Many people got down at next station or thereafter. I got down at Netaji Shubash Place and took a cab. Some other people also took cabs," she said.