Riders look at bigger picture beyond teething problems
Times of India | 27 August 2025
Kolkata: Even as passengers continue to face overcrowding, delayed services, and confusion over signage and announcements across the metro network, a majority of riders said the benefits of connectivity and reduced travel time outweigh the initial jitters.
Commuters who earlier depended on long break journeys and crowded interchanges said the new network had changed their gruelling commute routines. Sanjib Das, 35, a resident of Madhyamgram, recalled how he travelled from Madhyamgram to Dum Dum by train, spent nearly half an hour standing at the station, and then boarded another train. Now employed at a private firm in Maidan, he finds the extended metro service a relief. "This new route saves a lot of time," he said.
Another commuter who travels from Dum Dum Cantonment to Esplanade pointed out the added flexibility in case of service disruptions. "Earlier, if trains were stalled, I would get stuck at Dum Dum. Now, I can get off at Cantonment or Jessore Road station and take surface transport home," he said. | Gold Rates Today in Kolkata | Silver Rates Today in KolkataFor state govt employee Sandip Kumar Pal, 54, the direct link saves him from multiple transfers. A resident of Dum Dum Cantonment, Pal works at Nabanna. His earlier commute involved changing trains twice to reach Dum Dum, then taking the metro to Rabindra Sadan, and finally a bus to Nabanna. "From this week, I take the metro from Cantonment to Noapara, then to Esplanade, and finally another train to Howrah Maidan. It is far more direct," he explained.
Similar relief was echoed by Sayani Basak, 30, who lives in Kamalapur near Dum Dum Cantonment and works at Park Street. She previously relied on crowded autos or buses to reach Dum Dum station. "Now I board the metro directly from Cantonment, change at Noapara, and reach Park Street," she said.
The Yellow Line has been a major draw for those headed to the airport. On Monday, TOI found retired senior citizen Rajendranath Bandyopadhyay of Birati using the link to catch a flight to Delhi. "Earlier, I needed a cab or multiple autos to reach Airport Gate No. 1 and then walk. Now, I reach the terminal directly," he said, calling the metro both economical and convenient.
Students too are among the beneficiaries. Nandini Mondal, a first-year college student from Salt Lake, said her trip to tutorial classes at Maidan became affordable since the full run of East-West Metro on the Green line. Debjani Sanyal, a Techno India student from Howrah Maidan, said the extension streamlined her commute. "Earlier, I took the metro to Esplanade, then a bus to Sealdah, and again a metro. Now I go directly," she said.(Inputs by Mayukh Sengupta)