An electrical failure forced crowds of passengers to remain at a metro interchange hub in downtown Beijing during rush hour Monday morning. 

At around 7:55 on Monday morning an overload occurred at a transformer substation at Xuanwumen section of the city's No. 2 line, according to sources with the city's subway operating company.

The accident caused a failure in the metro signal system which led to an extension of the minimum subway operation interval from three to 10 minutes.

A large number of passengers on their way to work had to stay at several metro stations. Some of them managed to elbow out of the station entrances and head for work by bus or taxi. As a result buses near the metro stations were overcrowded and taxies were in short supply for a time.

At 8:19 AM the fault was fixed and normal operation resumed on the subway's loop line, sources said. No casualties were reported. 

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)