Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan reportedly gheraoed by harried passengers at Rajiv Chowk Station. Faces angry questions about overcrowding in trains and delay in service

Metroman E Sreedharan seems to have slipped from his ivory tower of public appreciation. Once hailed by Delhiites as a miracle-maker, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) managing director was reportedly mobbed by harassed commuters at the Rajiv Chowk Metro Station on Wednesday evening.


Stay calm: Metro chief Sreedharan kept his cool and attended to
questions of angry passengers with patience

Harried commuters, angry questions
Sreedharan was allegedly gheraoed by fellow commuters while he was returning after an official Metro ride from Patel Chowk station with delegates of the Urban and Development Ministry at around 4.30 pm.
According to a commuter, who was present at the station when the incident took place, Sreedharan was caught in an uncomfortable situation as around 100 people crowded around him and asked him questions about overcrowding and regular delay of Metro trains.
One passenger, who was part of the mob, said he questioned Sreedharan about overcrowded trains, especially during peak hours.

"I asked him what was he doing to make our ride comfortable? I said the situation of the Delhi Metro is worse than in Blueline buses where commuters hardly get space to put their feet in," said the man, who travels regularly between Rajeev Chowku00a0 and Mayur Vihar, wishing anonymity.

Another passenger said, "Overcrowding of Metro coaches results in frequent fights between passengers. As the trains brake suddenly, passengers fall on one another and tempers rise. People have to push each other to board the trains and even get down."

Security intervention
Eyewitnesses said unruly passengers kept screaming about the daily difficulties they face for about 15 to 20 minutes. One eyewitness said, "It was getting difficult to control the mob of around 100 people. Local security guards and Metro staff present at the station intervened and finally brought the situation under control."
However, Sreedharan, who had gone to Patel Chowk and Centre Secretariat Metro Stations, remained calm and pacified the crowd with the assurance that their problems will be addressed.
The DMRC chief was returning to his office at Barakhamba Road and continued his journey in another train after the mob had been dispersed.

100 Number of people that gathered around Sreedharan and asked questions about overcrowding and delay of Metro trains.

What Sreedharan promised

DMRC Managing Director E Sreedharan had said six coach trains would be introduced from May on all lines. "We will be introducing six coach trains from May this year. This will ease pressure on over crowded lines. We are getting more and more trains," he said. Currently, Metro trains have four coaches and the DMRC has been planning for a long time to add two more coaches to the trains. "Now every 10 days, one train is being added to the network," he added.

Metro coaches

The Delhi Metro is acquiring 424 coaches of modern metro trains from the world's largest manufacturer, Bombardier. The order has been placed at for $727 million. The first car from the Germany based manufacturer were received by Delhi Metro in February this year. While a bunch of trains were manufactured in Germany, rest of the trains are being built in Gujrat. All the coaches are to be delivered by Bombardier by 2011. How do you like the new new mid-day.com experience? Share your feedback and help us improve. Read Next Story Are you among those who missed a Metro ride?› Trending Stories Latest Photos Latest Videos Latest Web Stories ADVERTISEMENT Mid-Day Fast ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT