Orange Line Metro services between Beleghata and IT Centre in Kolkata will run for shorter hours from October 13 as authorities conduct trial operations and safety checks for the line’s extension towards Sector V.
The commercial service window has been reduced from 7:40 am to 9:08 pm to 8:40 am to 8:18 pm. The temporary change affects both the morning and evening operating periods and has been introduced to allow testing work to proceed without disruption, according to the report by Sangbad Pratidin.
Trial operations on the Beleghata–IT Centre section began on October 10. The Metro authorities are required to conduct multiple tests in line with prescribed safety procedures before passenger services can begin on the extended route.
A trial run from Beleghata to Sector V was conducted on Saturday and was reported to have been successful. The proposed route will include Gour Kishore Ghosh, Nalban and Sector V stations. If the remaining procedures are completed, direct Metro services from Kavi Subhash, also known as New Garia, to Sector V are expected to begin around Christmas in December, the report said.
Passenger operations cannot begin immediately after the trial run. The extended section will require clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety before the service is opened to the public. The reduction in commercial hours has therefore been linked to preparations for the planned passenger service and the testing required before that milestone.
The extension is expected to provide a direct rail connection between New Garia and Sector V, a major employment destination in eastern Kolkata. The report said the service would reduce travel time for people working in the Sector V area, although it did not provide an estimated journey time or a specific opening date.
The temporary reduction on the Orange Line comes as Kolkata Metro prepares additional services on the Blue and Green lines for Durga Puja. On the Blue Line, 284 trains are scheduled to operate on Panchami and Shashthi, with services beginning at 6 am and the last train at 11 pm. Trains are planned at six-minute intervals during busy periods.
The Green Line is scheduled to operate 240 trains on Panchami and Shashthi, with trains running at eight-minute intervals during peak demand. The report said both Blue and Green lines would operate overnight during the two days of Saptami, Ashtami and Navami.
From October 17 to October 20, Blue Line services are scheduled to run from 1 pm until 4 am the following day. Green Line services will operate from 1:30 pm until 3:59 am the following day during the same period. The Orange Line’s shortened hours will remain the immediate operational change while testing and the railway safety clearance process continue.
