A crack in a track disrupted Metro services for close to three hours on Sunday.
The crack had developed in the Up track (for Dakshineswar-bound trains) between Park Street and Maidan stations. The driver of a Dakshineswar-bound train noticed the spot around 3.15pm.
“The motorman experienced an abnormal sound from the track bed of the Up line between Maidan and Park Street stations at 3.15pm. Engineers rushed to the spot and spotted a small fracture in the track,” said a Metro official.
Train movements were barred on the affected stretch. Multiple trains on the Up line were stranded.
“From 4pm, a curtailed operation started. Trains ran between Dakshineswar and Girish Park in the north and between Tollygunge and New Garia in the south. The service on the entire stretch, between Dakshineswar and New Garia, resumed at 5.45pm,” said Kausik Mitra, chief public relations officer of Metro Railway.
Some Metro engineers attributed the crack to temperature fluctuations. “Prima facie it seems variations in temperature led to the crack. A detailed report is awaited,” said an official.