Metro trains skip two stations for nearly three hours amid heavy crowds during Freedom Habba

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Sunday clarified that trains had temporarily skipped Cubbon Park and Sir M. Visvesvaraya Metro stations for nearly three hours on Saturday evening amid heavy crowds during the Freedom Hubba celebrations around Vidhana Soudha.

People were not allowed to board or alight from the two stations between 7.21 p.m. and 9.57 p.m., though trains continued to run through the stretch. The BMRCL said those who were already waiting on the platforms were picked up by trains and taken to their destinations.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the BMRCL said the restriction was imposed after a large crowd gathered around Vidhana Soudha and the approaches to the two metro stations. The decision was taken in consultation with the authorities responsible for traffic and crowd management at the event, it said.

The BMRCL said the surrounding roads and approaches to the stations had become heavily congested, making it necessary to temporarily stop further passenger inflow into the area. “During major public events, train capacity and crowd conditions outside metro stations have to be managed together,” it said.

The clarification comes a day after the temporary non-stoppage led to inconvenience for commuters travelling to the central Bengaluru stations.

Source: The Hindu