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METRO

Madrid Metro breakdown traps hundreds

Several hundred commuters on Madrid's underground found themselves locked inside one of the network’s trains for over an hour and a half on Monday morning.

Madrid Metro breakdown traps hundreds
Passengers soon started to become agitated as the air became thicker and temperatures inside the carriages rose. Photo: Erin Perry

Getting trapped in a lift is very rarely a pleasant experience, but if the lock-in happens in a confined space with dozens of other people, the wait to be freed can be even more agonizing.

That’s what happened at 9.40 this morning on one of Madrid Metro’s trains running from the central neighbourhood of Chueca to the capital’s main avenue, Gran Vía.

A technical failure meant the carriages – which were packed full of passengers on their way to work – were left without any air conditioning and at times any light, Spanish news agency EFE reported.

All other trains on Line 5 were unable to run properly while Madrid Metro personnel attempted to move the problematic subway train “very slowly” towards the Gran Vía stop.

Passengers soon started to become agitated as the air became thicker and temperatures inside the carriages rose.

What made the wait even more wearing was that no public announcements were made through the tannoy and phone reception only worked for some passengers.

The doors finally opened at 11.25 am after an unbearable 500-metre trip which left one woman needing medical attention for an anxiety attack.

The lock-in comes at a time when the city’s subway is being criticized by passengers for the drop in services, the rise in prices and the lack of air conditioning.

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