Kolkata Metro will run extended services during Durga Puja on the Blue and Green lines, including overnight operations on several festival days to support passengers travelling across the city and manage the expected increase in crowds, according to a report by Bartaman Patrika.
On Panchami and Sasthi, services on the Blue Line between Shahid Khudiram and Dakshineswar will operate from 6 am to 11 pm. The Green Line, connecting Howrah Maidan with Salt Lake Sector V, will also run services during the same 6 am to 11 pm period.
The most extensive operating window has been planned from Saptami to Navami. The report states that the Blue Line will run from 1 pm until 4 am on these four days, as Saptami is being observed across two days this year. This will allow passengers to travel back from pandal visits and other festive destinations after regular daytime operations have ended.
During the same period, the Green Line will operate from 1.30 pm until 3.59 am. The timings cover the East-West Metro route between Howrah Maidan and Salt Lake Sector V, providing an additional late-night public transport option for commuters moving between the western and eastern parts of the metropolitan area.
On Dashami, October 21, the Blue Line will operate from 1 pm to 11.30 pm. The Green Line will run from 1.30 pm to 11.30 pm on the same day. These timings are shorter than the overnight schedules planned from Saptami to Navami but extend beyond the usual daytime festival operations.
The service plan covers the two Metro corridors identified in the report and provides different operating windows for each line. The Blue Line will offer the longest late-night extension, continuing until 4 am during the main festival days, while the Green Line will remain available until 3.59 am.
The additional services are intended to support movement during one of Kolkata’s busiest annual periods, when large numbers of residents and visitors travel across the city for pandal visits. The extended schedule also creates a structured public transport option for passengers returning late at night, particularly on the routes linking southern and northern Kolkata through the Blue Line and Howrah with Salt Lake through the Green Line.
According to the reported schedule, passengers will have to note different start and end times depending on the festival day and corridor. The next listed operating milestone is Panchami, when both lines are scheduled to begin services at 6 am and continue until 11 pm.
