Morning chaos at Bengaluru's Peenya Industry metro station

Bengaluru: Chaos prevailed at the Peenya Industry metro station during the morning peak hour on Tuesday after a large number of passengers arrived to board trains due to the suspension of service at other stations. 

Namma Metro has announced suspending train services to Nagasandra, Dasarahalli and Jalahalli for five days (August 20, 23, 30, September 6 and 11) to facilitate ongoing trial runs for the 3.17-km Green Line extension (Nagasandra and Madavara), which it aims to open in September-end. 

On these five days, Green Line services will be available only between Peenya Industry and Silk Institute.  

On Tuesday morning, the Peenya Industry metro station was overwhelmed after passengers from Nagasandra, Dasarahalli and Jalahalli arrived to board trains. The opening of only one entrance didn't make things easier. Soon after, passenger lines spilled over into the busy Tumakuru Road. 

Rajath Joshi, a passenger, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Pathetic handling of the crowd at Peenya Industry metro station today! Massive disruption and traffic because of your mismanagement! Why not open both the entrances at Peenya Industry when you know there would be massive overcrowding?" 

Aveen M Balakrishnan, another passenger, shared a picture of the crowd on the road and wondered whether the situation would continue in the evening. 

Shankar AS, Executive Director (Operations and Maintenance), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), acknowledged the crowding but said travel was actually made easier for passengers. 

According to him, passengers were allowed to pass through the AFC  (Automatic Fare Collection) gates at Peenya Industry and that fare was collected only at the exit gates of destination stations. However, passengers with luggage had to pass security checks, which he called non-negotiable. 

The BMTC ran feeder buses from Nagasandra every half an hour, he said.  

Shankar said only one entrance was opened at Peenya Industry because it typically had "very low footfall". Even one entrance is not fully utilised, he added. 

"We anticipated the crowds and had a plan in place. The disruption is only for five days," he told DH. 

With four more days of disruption lined up (August 23, 30, September 6 and 11), the BMRCL will open four more AFC gates at entry/exit points  and install one more luggage scanner at Peenya Industry.