GIFT City Metro services were briefly disrupted on Friday morning after an empty pilot train developed a fault near GIFT City station, forcing passengers on the first service towards the destination to complete part of their journey by bus. Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (GMRCL) suspended a train operator and a train controller pending an inquiry into the incident.
The fault occurred at around 6am when the pilot train was being operated from the siding near GIFT City station as part of GMRCL’s daily pre-service operational readiness protocol. The corporation has not specified the exact nature of the fault. An unconfirmed report described the incident as a derailment, but that detail was not confirmed by GMRCL.
Passenger services on the GNLU-GIFT City corridor were scheduled to begin at 7.48am. However, the first train heading towards GIFT City was curtailed at PDEU station, one station before the destination, at around 7.40am. Passengers on board were transported from PDEU to GIFT City by bus, officials said.
Services to GIFT City were subsequently restored, with all trains on the corridor other than the first service operating according to schedule. GMRCL said rectification work on the pilot train was completed at the site, allowing operations to resume.
The incident affected the opening movement of the corridor but did not disrupt the corporation’s other services. GMRCL said operations on the East-West, North-South and Motera-Mahatma Mandir corridors continued normally.
The use of an empty pilot train before passenger operations is part of GMRCL’s standard operating procedure. Such a pre-service run is intended to check the operational readiness of the line and train before scheduled passenger movement begins. In this case, the fault was detected before the first train completed its journey to GIFT City, but the disruption required the operator to arrange road transport for passengers from PDEU.
GMRCL has formed a three-member committee to investigate the incident. The suspended train operator and train controller will remain off duty until the inquiry is completed. The corporation has not announced the committee’s timeline or disclosed whether the investigation will recommend further operational changes.
The GNLU-GIFT City corridor is a key metro link serving the growing institutional, business and employment district around GIFT City. Friday’s incident was limited to the first service, and GMRCL said subsequent trains on the corridor operated as scheduled. The inquiry will determine the cause of the fault and examine the operating circumstances surrounding the pre-service run.
