Kolkata Metro services on both up and down lines were disrupted for about 10 minutes on Friday morning after a stray dog entered the tracks at Shobhabazar Metro station, prompting the shutdown of track power and a rescue operation.
According to a report by Sanmarg, a metro train that departed from Dakshineswar at 7.38 am was stopped after reaching Shyambazar station. The train remained stationary while metro personnel responded to the incident at nearby Shobhabazar station. Passengers were subsequently informed that a stray dog had entered the track area.
As a safety measure, the electricity supply to the track was switched off before the rescue operation began. The dog was eventually removed from the track, after which metro services were restored in approximately 10 minutes, the report said. The brief disruption affected trains operating on both directions of the line.
The incident has raised questions about how the animal entered the station and reached the tracks despite the security arrangements in place at metro stations. These arrangements include passenger baggage checks, ticket inspection and staff monitoring within station premises. The available report does not establish the route taken by the dog or identify a specific security failure.
Sanmarg also reported that Kolkata Metro has faced a similar incident in the past. In 2025, during Kali Puja, a dog reportedly entered a metro station after becoming frightened by the sound of firecrackers. The recurrence has renewed attention on the ability of stations to prevent animals from accessing operational areas, particularly platforms and tracks.
Some passengers have questioned whether staff negligence or inadequate attention on duty may have contributed to Friday’s incident. Those allegations have not been independently confirmed. No official statement from the Kolkata Metro administration regarding the incident was available in the supplied report.
The disruption also illustrates the operational consequences of an apparently small breach inside a metro system. Once an animal enters an electrified track area, power must be isolated before personnel can attempt a rescue, temporarily affecting train movement and passenger journeys. In this case, the interruption was limited to around 10 minutes, but the response required coordination between station staff, train operations and the team handling the rescue.
The immediate service disruption ended after the dog was removed and power was restored. Questions about the animal’s entry, the effectiveness of station surveillance and whether any corrective action will follow remain unanswered pending a response from Kolkata Metro authorities.
