Preparations galore: Spl transport arrangements for IPL matches
Kolkata: To facilitate the movement of spectators attending the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty-20 matches at Eden Gardens, the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC), Kolkata Metro Railway and Eastern Railway (ER) have introduced special transport services on select match days.
With the first match at Eden Gardens scheduled for Saturday, March 22, where Kolkata Knight Riders will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru, authorities anticipate a large crowd and have arranged additional buses, Metro trains and local trains to ensure smooth post-match travel.
WBTC will operate 23 special buses from Esplanade to various parts of Kolkata and its suburbs, including Thakurpukur, New Town, Dunlop, Ballygunge, Garia, Howrah, the airport, Barasat, Nilganj, Kamalgazi, Haridebpur, Joka, Mandirtala and Tikiapara. These buses will be available on the following match dates: March 22, April 3, April 21, April 26, May 7, May 23 (qualifier) and May 25 (final). Buses will depart from designated locations near Eden Gardens immediately after the matches and fares will be charged as per the standard fare chart. Regular bus services passing through Eden Gardens, Esplanade and Strand Road will also be strengthened on these dates.
Kolkata Metro Railway will run three special midnight Metro services from Esplanade at 12:15 am on March 22.
Trains will operate on the Blue Line towards Dakshineswar and Kavi Subhash and on the Green Line towards Howrah Maidan, stopping at all stations along the route. A surcharge of Rs 10 will be applied to the standard fare for these services.
Ticket counters at Old Esplanade Metro Station and New Esplanade Metro Station will remain open for the sale of smart cards, tokens and QR tickets during these hours.
Eastern Railway will operate two additional local trains on three match nights. The Princep Ghat-Barasat special will depart at 11:50 pm on March 22, May 23 and May 25, while the BBD Bag-Baruipur special will leave at 12:02 am on March 23, May 24 and May 26. These train services aim to provide additional travel options for spectators after
late-night matches.
