Teething troubles persist for Mumbai Metro Line 3

Dysfunctional escalators have added to passenger woes; (left) Metro door remains open due to a technical glitch. PICS/ASHISH RAJE

Like any other new project, the Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3 has also been no exception and has been facing teething problems. A few problems that have been persistent in the first week of Aqua Line 3 operations have been train detentions leading to delays, few dysfunctional escalators and commissioning of limited entry/exits at a few stations. Besides other technical reasons, one of the prominent issues causing train detention and delays has been the train doors not opening or remaining open for longer times.

Complaints have been persistent but officials said that there were initial software issues and they should be resolved as things settle down. "On Thursday, the doors of a BKC train that arrived at Marol Naka around 8.42 pm didn't open at CSMIA T2. People had to alight at Sahar road," a commuter Aniket said.

"A 12.02 train on Day 1 at T2 in the BKC direction faced a glitch and its doors did not open for a minute or so because the train doors and platform doors did not sync. The train had to be backed and the doors opened only after it synced," another commuter said. "Last night, again there was a problem and the train was delayed at Seepz," another commuter said.

Navigating escalators

Other problems include the non-functionality of some escalators which has been leading to problems for senior citizens. At the Bandra collector's office entry/exit gate, the escalators have been shut on two floors, with the absence of lift or elevators there, leading to a steep climb of two floors. At some stations like T1, limited entry/exits have been opened leading to problems of ease of access. Other issues like digital payments and app functionality have now been improved and things working seamlessly.

The other side

Metro officials said that the new trains are equipped with Autonomous Mobility or Automatic Train Operation mode. "The trains fall under the highest grade of Automation 4 category. This mode takes the guesswork, human error, and variables out of railways, making them more efficient, accurate, and reliable than ever. However, the operations are yet to reach the full stage of automation and the trains are being handled in a limited manner in manual mode, leading to clashes with the software and the initial hiccups. All these are teething problems and would be resolved as the team gains experience," an official said.