Kolkata Metro services faced severe overcrowding on Shashthi during Durga Puja, with train doors reportedly remaining open for extended periods as passengers attempted to board packed services. The congestion affected several stations and added to travel difficulties for people visiting puja venues across the city.
According to a report by Sangbad Pratidin, the pressure had been building since Panchami, when stations including Chandni Chowk and Esplanade saw large crowds from the afternoon onwards. The report said passengers packed into trains, while multiple service cancellations further intensified the rush. In several instances, police personnel had to pull passengers out of coaches as people tried to board despite the lack of space.
The overcrowding meant that train doors could not close in a single attempt at many stations. As a result, services reportedly remained at platforms for longer periods, affecting the movement of subsequent trains. Metro authorities repeatedly asked passengers not to board already crowded trains, but the warnings did not prevent people from trying to enter services to reach pandal-hopping destinations more quickly.
The rush also extended beyond the Metro network. Local trains towards Sealdah were reported to be similarly crowded, while buses and other public transport services saw increasing passenger pressure as the day progressed. The report attributed the surge to the growing practice of starting pandal visits several days before the main festival days, with many residents leaving home from Tritiya onwards.
For passengers, the concentration of visitors on the Metro network creates an operational challenge beyond ordinary peak-hour crowding. Trains must manage repeated boarding attempts, delayed door closure and longer station dwell times, while police and station staff have to control passenger movement on platforms. The reported scenes also underline the dependence of festival mobility on a limited number of high-capacity corridors connecting central Kolkata with popular puja areas.
The railway authorities have decided to operate additional trains from Saptami to ease the pressure on passengers. The move is expected to provide more capacity on the local rail network as festival travel continues. The Sangbad Pratidin report did not provide details of the number, routes or timings of the additional services. Further operational information from the transport authorities will determine how much additional capacity is available to commuters during the remaining puja days.
