A glitch in the signalling system of Delhi Metro left thousands of commuters stranded on Monday morning.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has confirmed that the busy Blue Line, between Dwarka and Noida City Centre, was affected due to a glitch in the signalling system that occurred at around 8 A. M. on Monday because of damage or theft of signalling cable.

The Blue Line, which connects Dwarka to Noida City Centre and Vaishali, carries as many as 8 lakh passengers per day.

Anuj Dayal, a spokesperson for DMRC, said, "The problem occurred due to damage or theft of signalling cable, measuring 700 metres, in the track circuit between Pragati Maidan and Mandi House Metro stations."

The glitch caused trains to run at a decreased speed of just 25 kilometers per hour (kmph) till late Monday, while passengers kept waiting for longer time periods.

In a bid to ease the peak hour rush between Indraprastha and Dwarka, the DMRC operated three additional trains. The Corporation also assured that the affected section of the track circuit would be replaced and that the services would be back to normal soon.

It was the fifth time in the past six-month period when the Blue Line suffered a glitch, causing inconvenience to passengers. In October, Metro services had suffered disruption after its signalling system close to the Yamuna Bank interchange station had failed to set directions for trains approaching from Dwarka.