30-min power supply trip plunges 3 Yellow Line stations into darkness
Times of India | 27 December 2025
Kolkata: Metro passengers about to alight at Yellow Line's Dum Dum Cantonment, Jessore Road or Airport stations on Friday evening were shocked as their trains came to a halt at a spot, completely engulfed in darkness. Many initially thought their trains had halted inside the tunnel but as the compartment doors opened, they realised they had pulled into the platform, lit only by the rake's front light.
A "power supply trip" led to the blackout at the three Yellow Line stations that lasted about 30 minutes from 7.27 pm.
As the trains departed, commuters were left in thick darkness. With even sign boards going blank, people had a distressing time, trying to switch on their mobile torches and finding their way out. Those alighting at Jai Hind Bimanbandar Metro station had to lug their luggage through the pitch-dark tunnel, leading to the airport terminal. Many flyers, who had just landed in Kolkata and had planned to take the metro back home, decided otherwise.
Metro Railway is investigating how the "domestic power snag" occurred and electricity went off in the cluster of three stations (Airport, Dum Dum Cantonment and Jessore Road), especially at the "showpiece" Airport Metro station. Power supply was restored around 8 pm.
Noapara, the junction station of Blue and Yellow lines was unaffected.
"When the train reached Dum Dum Cantonment and Jessore Road stations, I saw they were dark. As we got off at the Airport station, we were enveloped in darkness. It was scary, especially with kids," said Birati resident Ashok Majumdar, returning home from a trip to the zoo with his kids.
"We switched on the mobile torches to find our way. Walking up or down the stairs in the darkness was frightening," said Sudha Agarwal, an airport staff member, who took the Yellow Line after work.
Around 8.30 pm, Metro Railway released a statement: "Due to incoming power supply tripped at Jai Hind Bimanbandar, Dum Dum Cantonment, and Jessore Road stations at 7.27 pm. Escalators, lifts, etc., were not functioning. There was no effect on the automatic fare collection gates and the ticketing systems. Train services were not affected." A Metro spokesperson said, "There was some issue with the power supplied by CESC. Investigations are on to find if the issue was internal or external."