Heavy rain and IPL frenzy hit Namma Metro services, as train skips Cubbon Park station

Amidst a rain-hit restart to the Indian Premier League (IPL), buoyed by a good season for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Namma Metro commuters, including many cricket enthusiasts heading to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, were forced to alight at earlier stations because of overcrowding at the Cubbon Park station on Saturday evening.

Amidst a rain-hit restart to the Indian Premier League (IPL), buoyed by a good season for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Namma Metro commuters, including many cricket enthusiasts heading to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, were forced to alight at earlier stations because of overcrowding at the Cubbon Park station on Saturday evening.

Massive crowd pile-up was seen at the stations leading up to the stadium. As trains skipped stopping at the Cubbon Park station, many commuters were forced to get off at other stations and find other modes to reach the venue and areas around the station in heavy rain.

Krishna N. was commuting from the K.R. Market station to Cubbon Park station around 6.30 p.m. when he was caught unawares by an announcement.

“When the train reached Central College, there was an announcement that those alighting at Cubbon Park would have to get down either at the Vidhana Soudha station or M.G. Road. I had to get down at Vidhana Soudha and walk in the rain to reach my destination. The inundated road did not make it better,” he said, infuriated.

Another commuter, Aniketh G. too suffered the same fate. “The announcement about the cancellation of the halt at Cubbon Park was made after our train left Vidhana Soudha station. The least the Metro authorities could have done was to announce this at the previous station. Also, there was no reason given for the cancellation,” he said.

Meanwhile, there was a huge crowd inside and outside the Cubbon Park station as two-wheeler riders took shelter around the station owing to the rain, adding to the already huge number of cricket match-goers stuck in the station.

Yashwanth Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL), said the decision to forego stoppage at the station was taken owing to overcrowding.