A terrifying twist to an ordinary commute! What started as a routine metro ride in Chennai turned into an unexpected adventure underground, leaving dozens of passengers walking through a dark subway tunnel — something none of them had ever imagined doing.
Early Tuesday morning, commuters on the Blue Line of the Chennai Metro, traveling toward the Wimco Nagar Depot, were taken by surprise when their train came to a sudden halt deep inside a subway tunnel. The line, which connects Wimco Nagar Depot and Chennai International Airport, experienced a technical fault that brought the train to a standstill between the Central Metro and High Court stations.
With the power cut off, passengers reported that the lights and air conditioning went out completely, turning the confined space pitch-dark. In several videos circulating online, people can be seen gripping the metal handrails and peeking anxiously through the windows, trying to figure out what went wrong.
After nearly ten minutes of tense waiting and confusion, an announcement from metro officials instructed passengers to carefully exit the train and walk about 500 meters through the tunnel toward the nearest station — High Court Metro. In another clip shared on social media, long lines of commuters can be seen making their way through the narrow passageway, guided by emergency lighting and staff.
Authorities later confirmed that the disruption was likely due to a temporary power outage or an internal technical glitch, both of which have been known to occasionally impact automated metro systems worldwide. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported, though the experience left many passengers shaken — and questioning Chennai Metro’s emergency preparedness.
Following the incident, Chennai Metro Rail took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that services had been fully restored. Their post read: "Metro train operations between Airport and Wimco Nagar Depot on the Blue Line have resumed as normal. Services from Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MG Ramachandran Central Metro to St Thomas Mount on the Green Line are also functioning according to schedule." The statement concluded with an apology: "We regret the inconvenience caused."
But here’s the part that’s stirring debate: Should passengers have been asked to walk through a subway tunnel — no matter how short — or should there have been a safer evacuation procedure? Many online users are divided, with some praising metro staff for quick action, while others argue this exposed commuters to unnecessary risk.
So what do you think — was asking passengers to walk through the tunnel the right call under the circumstances, or should the Chennai Metro have handled this differently? Share your thoughts in the comments below — this one’s bound to spark discussion!
