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This Wednesday morning, the Delhi Metro let its passengers down again. The service in West Delhi is down stranding thousands of passengers, most of whom are office goers and traders.
The Delhi Metro had built a reputation for state-of-art project management, most specifically, adhering to deadlines. We have also heard that the Delhi Metro often finishes ahead of schedule. Ever since the Dwarka - Rajiv Chowk section opened for business, reports of frequent breakdowns are normal. Maybe they did not test the line thoroughly enough before launch, having bowed down to the pressure of expectation. It is normal for even the best to bow down to the fatal attraction of fancy dates like 25 December or January 1.
Our bemused blogger Jonty reports live stuck in the Metro via SMS:
9:41 AM
I am stuck in Subhash Nagar The train broke for the last 35 minutes. Problem with the line ahead. Though it was expected to resume in 15 minutes or so. It could meet that time. It has been a bizarre turn of events.
10:01 AM
Subhash Nagar Metro has 3000 stranded passengers from 2 morning commuter trains during peak working hours. I can't even do my normal bird-watching, if you get my drift.
10:07AM
Now another train loaded with passengers has been offloaded and there was a complete mayhem for an hour. It's an experience of a lifetime. Now I know we live in crowded country. It seems that the Public Address system has broken down. There's no official announcement on the happenings and everyone is confused.
10:42 AM
They announced now that the service will resume shortly. What a mess! Anyway things have started to look better now.
10:53 AM
I am finally in a train now. Hope to reach in 90 minutes from now.
11:02 AM
The train has broken down again. This time, it is the middle of nowhere between Moti Nagar and Kirti Nagar. What a day it is turning out for all of us. My boss will be angry and won't listen to me, of course. This is the second time this line has broken down.
Maybe it is the pressure. You get the uneasy feeling that Delhi Metro is going Sachin Tendulkar's way. Are all the expectations from a perenially underperforming nation a bit too much to handle?
