Kolkata Metro has introduced QR code-based ticketing at 12 stations and added Paytm as a booking option ahead of Durga Puja, when the city’s public transport network is expected to face a sharp rise in passenger movement. The new facilities are intended to help commuters avoid ticket-counter queues and speed up entry during the festival period.
Under the QR-based system, passengers can buy tickets by scanning stickers placed at selected stations without downloading a separate application. Metro Railway has said the facility will initially be available at 12 stations and will be extended to other stations across its corridors in the coming days. The stations named in the announcement include Esplanade, Dum Dum, Dakshineswar, Rabindra Sarobar, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, Kalighat, Howrah, Sealdah, Sovabazar-Sutanuti, Salt Lake Sector V and Dum Dum Cantonment.
Passengers can also book tickets through the Paytm app for journeys between any two stations. The service will operate alongside the existing AAMAR KOLKATA METRO app, giving commuters multiple digital options for purchasing tickets before reaching the platform.
The measures have been introduced before Durga Puja, when large numbers of residents and visitors travel to pandals and other parts of Kolkata. Metro services are expected to remain an important mode of movement during the festival because they connect central areas, major interchanges and several high-footfall destinations without being affected by the road congestion that accompanies festive travel.
Kolkata Metro has also announced a special operating schedule for October 15 to 21 across its Blue, Green, Purple, Yellow and Orange lines. The Blue and Green lines will run overnight during Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami, covering October 17 to 20. On the Blue Line, 248 services will operate from 1 pm until 4 am the following morning on those days, with trains scheduled every six minutes during peak hours.
The Green Line will run 192 services from 1.30 pm until nearly 4 am during the same period, with an eight-minute peak-hour interval. On October 15 and 16, the line will operate 240 services between Howrah Maidan and Salt Lake Sector V from 6 am to 11 pm.
Service levels on the other corridors will be more limited. The Yellow Line will run 72 services daily from October 17 to 20, while the Purple Line will operate 38 services daily from October 17 to 21, with trains at intervals of 25 minutes. The Orange Line will not operate from October 17 to 21. On Dashami, October 21, the Blue Line will run 140 services until 10.30 pm, while the Green Line will operate 74 services during the festival-day schedule.
Last year, Kolkata Metro had offered unlimited rides to Tourist Smart Card holders during Durga Puja. The cards were priced at Rs 250 for three days and Rs 550 for five days. The latest digital ticketing measures and extended festival services are scheduled to take effect as part of this year’s arrangements from October 15.
