Metro opens additional booking counters at all stations to manage pre-Puja rush

: Ahead of Durga Puja, Metro Railway witnessed a spike in footfall at Metro stations near market areas as residents of Kolkata and suburbs step out to shop for Puja. Metro already plied extra services on weekends to ease the commute for the passengers.

According to Metro officials, passenger rush is generally observed at Mahatma Gandhi Road and Central Metro Station which are located near the Burrabazar area. Esplanade Metro Station has also witnessed a sharp rise in footfall due to its proximity to the New Market area.

“Shoppers also like to frequent the Hatibagan area and Shyambazar Metro Station helps them to reach there easily,” the official said.

“Kalighat Metro Station is being frequented by Gariahat-bound shoppers. Metro stations, including Dakeshineswar, Dum Dum and Kavi Subhash have become a hotspot for suburban residents who are travelling to the markets in the city to complete their shopping for Durga Puja on time,” the official added.

Starting from September 23 till October 15, Metro Railway has increased the services on Saturdays and Sundays in the North-South Metro corridor. They are running 288 services instead of 234 services on Saturdays and 164 services instead of 130 services on Sundays. “Metro signifies smooth, fast and comfortable travelling experience. It allows them to visit their preferred shopping locations smoothly and also saves their valuable time,” Metro Railway stated. According to an official, Metro staff are working round-the-clock to provide smooth services to the commuters. Additional booking counters were opened at all stations to manage the rush. Adequate tokens and Smart Cards have been provided at booking counters to meet extra demand.

Metro users are being constantly requested to use the ‘Metro Ride Kolkata’ app for recharging Smart Cards as well as book QR Code Based Tickets while travelling in the East-West Corridor, to avoid queues.