To manage the huge rush following the Puja Carnival, Kolkata Metro will operate six additional trains in each direction on both the Blue and Green lines. These services will run at 20-minute intervals, commencing immediately after the regular Sunday schedule concludes.
The carnival itself will feature 113 award-winning Puja committees, with a grand march scheduled along Red Road from the historic Fort William to Akashvani Bhavan. The event is expected to draw huge crowds, necessitating enhanced metro services for the vast number of anticipated attendees.
Blue Line schedule
Trains on the Blue Line from Shahid Khudiram to Dakshineshwar are scheduled to leave at 10:03 p.m., 10:23 p.m., and 10:43 p.m. The return trains from Dakshineshwar to Shahid Khudiram will leave at 9:53 p.m., followed by another at 10:13 p.m. and then at 10:33 p.m. These additional services have been introduced to try to accommodate the significant surge of passengers who will be returning from the festivities.
Green Line schedule
For the Green Line, additional trains will run between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan at 10:20 pm, 10:40 pm, and 11:00 pm, helping the crowd to cover the longer stretches comfortably without the pangs of overcrowding.
Traffic and commuter advisory
Authorities have imposed traffic restrictions across central Kolkata. Red Road will remain closed from midnight to 9 AM, while major thoroughfares, including AJC Bose Road, New Road, Dufferin Road, and Queens Way, will see phased closures.
The authorities are advising spectators to opt for public transport, with metros and trams being highlighted as the best and most efficient options. The recommended strategy says that one has to get off either Park Street or at Esplanade, after which one has to continue on foot to immerse oneself in the festivities.
