A technical issue at Whitefield (Kadugodi) Metro Station disrupted early morning services on Bengaluru’s Purple Line on Friday. The glitch, which surfaced around 5 am, forced Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to temporarily suspend train operations from the station, severely affecting commuters during peak hours.

As a stopgap, metro trains were run only between Hopefarm Channasandra and Challaghatta stations — bypassing the Whitefield (Kadugodi) terminal. This left many passengers stranded or forced to seek alternative transport in the morning rush.

Normalcy was restored only at 9:55 am, when full services resumed and connectivity to the last station on the Purple Line was re-established. BMRCL officials confirmed that the disruption lasted nearly five hours, during which maintenance teams worked to identify and resolve the fault.

Fortunately, services on the Green Line remained unaffected, helping ease the pressure on the city’s metro network to some extent.

Friday’s incident highlights the growing stress on Bengaluru’s metro infrastructure as it continues to expand while coping with rising ridership. It also underscores the need for stronger technical readiness and real-time response to minimize commuter inconvenience.

As the metro network grows with proposed extensions like the Tumakuru route — for which feasibility studies are underway — reliable operations and timely communication will be critical in maintaining public trust in mass transit.