As Kolkata prepares for the annual Durga Puja surge, the city’s Metro network, which is operated by Indian Railways, is witnessing record crowds and mounting operational headaches.

Metro said a “record” 6.96 lakh people used its services across its network on Friday – 5.25 lakh on Blue Line, the north-south corridor connecting Dakshineswar and Sahid Khudiram stations; and 1.66 lakh on Green Line, the east-west corridor linking Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V.

While the full commissioning of the Green Line has created a seamless corridor linking Howrah and Salt Lake, the dramatic rise in passengers has exposed capacity limits and bottlenecks just weeks before the festival.

With millions of people expected to flock to the streets during the week-long Durga puja, many will use the Metro’s newly expanded network to travel from the suburbs to the city’s pandals.

The central question looming over the city is: Is the Metro ready for the Puja rush?

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated sections in the two corridors. Among them was the completion of the Green Line’s last leg – the 2.6 km Esplanade-Sealdah section. This vital link now connects the city’s two major railway stations, Howrah and Sealdah, and has created a seamless 16.6 km corridor from Howrah Maidan to Sector V.

This integration has had an immediate and dramatic effect on ridership.

Data from the first week of September shows passenger footfall on the Metro regularly exceeding 6.5 lakh per day, with a record-breaking 8,07,030 passengers on September 1.

The surge, however, has exposed the Metro’s vulnerabilities.

The Blue Line, the city’s oldest and most heavily used corridor, is bearing the brunt of the new traffic. Its interchange at Esplanade, already the heart of Kolkata’s shopping district, has become a major congestion point, struggling to cope with the influx of shoppers and office-goers. Older, smaller stations like Chandni Chowk and Central are also facing similar challenges with limited space and infrastructure.

“During the pre-Puja season, Metro trains are usually crowded, but this year it is impossible to board during office hours. From 6.15 pm to 7.00 pm, I often let two or three trains pass because the gates won’t close due to the massive crowds. I can only get on about one out of every three trains,” said Arbindo Das, a regular Blue Line passenger.

Operational setbacks have compounded the pressure.

The Kavi Subhash terminal on the Blue Line has been closed for maintenance since July 28, forcing short terminations at Shahid Khudiram and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and disrupting schedules.

A technical snag on September 8 at Kavi Nazrul station, also on the Blue Line, added to commuter misery: a journey from Baranagar to Chandni Chowk that normally takes 24 minutes stretched to 40, leaving thousands stranded during peak hours. Overcrowding has also made it difficult to close train doors, further delaying services.

Furthermore, the introduction of the Noapara–Airport Yellow Line on August 25, which also interchanges with the Blue Line, added another layer of complexity. Metro officials are now working on a trial basis to separate the Yellow Line services from the Blue Line to insulate the old system, a move similar to how the Green Line and Blue Line services are physically separated.

Amid rising complaints from commuters over irregular frequency and short-termination of trains on the Blue Line, Metro is urging passengers to “cooperate”, especially during peak hours.

In a statement, Metro said not all trains could be run across the full stretch of the corridor owing to operational constraints following the closure of Kavi Subhash station (New Garia), the original terminal, over a month ago.

“Passengers are requested to cooperate so that Metro can run smoothly. At present, commuters are resisting vacating the coaches at Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station during peak hours, which causes a cumulative effect and adversely affects the services,” the Metro said on Thursday.

Of the 272 services, the Metro said, 32 will be run between Dakshineswar and Tollygunge instead of the entire stretch connecting the northern and southern parts of the city.

Metro authorities have also begun a series of operational measures.

Officials said they are regulating the number of services and have begun efforts to reopen the Tollygunge car shed to improve train operations. This will allow for additional rakes to be placed at Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Noapara stations before the start of daily services.

They are also exploring the possibility of extending Green Line services beyond midnight.

“We are encouraging passengers to use digital ticketing by offering a 5% discount, hoping to reduce queues and manage crowds more efficiently,” said an official.

“Night-long services on the Blue Line are being planned for key Puja days,” said a Metro official, while the CPRO added, “We are monitoring the situation closely. For now, services will remain the same, but depending on future requirements, some decisions might be taken.”
The network’s operational systems and station infrastructure must catch up quickly if it is to handle the spectacular footfall Durga Puja brings.

“While the new lines are transformative, the recent footfall data and service hiccups show the system is under strain. With Puja approaching, how authorities manage the peak days will be crucial,” said civil engineer Ratul Bose, who regularly takes the Metro ride from Dumdum to Esplanade (Blue Line).

The Metro officials, however, are assertive that “improvement will be visible”.

“Metro Railway is analysing each incident thoroughly and working towards improvement,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

On Sunday, to buttress its point, the Metro said despite record footfall on a holiday, “more than 98 per cent” of its services were “punctual” on the Blue Line, and “100 per cent” on the Green Line.