Purple Line metro glitch at Cubbon Park disrupts services to Whitefield

On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 6:32 PM, a technical glitch on a Purple Line train at Cubbon Park metro station caused a severe disruption to Bengaluru's Namma Metro services, directly impacting commuters traveling to and from Whitefield. The peak-hour breakdown left thousands of passengers stranded and forced the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to run truncated operations.

The disruption began when a train developed a technical fault as it entered the Cubbon Park station tunnel. Commuter Alan Desousa reported hearing a loud sound from the rear coach. Desousa noted that the rear motor drives stopped working, the HVAC system shut off frequently as the train picked up speed, and the vehicle jerked occasionally after accelerating.

With the breakdown occurring during the evening rush hour, stations quickly became overcrowded. In response, BMRCL altered its operations, running trains only on specific sections of the Purple Line. Initially, services were restricted to the routes between Magadi Road and Challaghatta, and between MG Road and Whitefield (Kadugodi).

BMRCL later updated that services had resumed on the elevated sections of the Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Indiranagar route, as well as the Challaghatta to Nadaprabhu route.

To manage the growing crowds, Namma Metro staff and local police officers deployed to several key transit points. Crowds were cleared at Cubbon Park, Vidhana Soudha, Central College, Majestic, and the railway station metro stations. Stranded passengers shared photos on social media showing long queues snaking through the stations.

In an official statement, BMRCL apologized for the disruption. "Efforts are underway to restore normal services at the earliest. Passengers are requested to cooperate and plan their journeys accordingly. BMRCL regrets the temporary inconvenience caused to the commuters," the corporation stated.

The Namma Metro system serves between 9 and 10 lakh passengers daily, with the Purple Line alone accounting for approximately 4.50 lakh of those daily commuters.