22 May,2026 12:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The incident once again triggered criticism over commuter communication and emergency handling. Pic/ X
In Mumbai, commuting chaos is no longer an exception, it is part of everyday life for lakhs of residents. On Friday morning, adding to the city's long list of commuting woes, services on Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line) came to a standstill during peak office hours, leaving hundreds stranded underground amid stalled services and growing uncertainty over when operations would resume.
The disruption on the 33.5-km fully underground corridor, connecting key hubs such as BKC, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (T1 & T2), Churchgate, Cuffe Parade and Aarey JVLR, once again raised a pressing question for authorities: "For a city that depends on every minute of its commute, can Mumbai afford repeated disruptions on its most ambitious metro corridor?"
This is the second major disruption this month. On May 6, train services on the Aqua Line were hit due to a fire at T2 Airport station.
The snag, reported by commuters around 8.45 am, appeared to affect the entire Aqua Line corridor. For nearly 40 to 50 minutes, office-goers were left waiting on crowded platforms and inside halted trains as confusion mounted. Furious commuters took to social media, alleging there were no announcements about the nature of the fault or when services would resume.
Many questioned the operational preparedness of the newly launched underground metro line and the lack of accountability when services fail, accusing authorities of leaving passengers uninformed during a critical rush-hour disruption.
Later, Mumbai Metro said train services on both up and down lines were delayed due to a "technical issue". In a statement issued around 10 am, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited confirmed that the fault had been rectified and normal services restored. However, authorities did not specify the exact nature of the technical snag or explain why commuters were left without updates for nearly an hour.
However, frustrated commuters took to X (formerly Twitter) to express anger over the disruption, alleging a lack of communication and inadequate facilities at stations during the delay.
One commuter wrote, "Absolute chaos at Aqua Line Metro stations with commuters stranded and confused, and no communication from authorities. Services have been disrupted for over 40 to 50 minutes with no clarity on when operations will resume. The least commuters deserve during such situations are timely updates and basic communication."
Another passenger raised concerns over station conditions during the disruption, posting, "Metro line 3 is facing a technical issue, running late, with no updates displayed, no network and no cooling at platforms," while urging authorities to address the issues.
Several commuters also demanded ticket refunds after services were affected. One user on X claimed that Aqua Line trains towards Aarey JVLR had remained suspended since around 8 am despite tickets already being purchased, questioning the refund process for affected passengers.
The incident once again triggered criticism over commuter communication and emergency handling during disruptions on the newly operational metro corridor.
