Hundreds of commuters were left stranded on Friday evening as services on Kolkata Metro’s North-South corridor (Blue Line) faced severe disruptions during peak hours. Trains on the down line were delayed by several minutes at every station, with some halting for nearly seven minutes, causing a ripple effect across the network.
Metro officials attributed the disruption to ‘bunching of trains’ — a cascading delay in train movement — arising from operational challenges following the sudden closure of Kavi Subhash station, the southern terminal of the corridor.
“Due to the temporary suspension of services at Kavi Subhash, there has been a delay in turning the trains at the terminal for their upward journey. This caused bunching of trains during rush hour,” a Metro official said.
But passengers are far from convinced. Ashok, 47, a businessman from Bally, was travelling to Garia to meet his relatives and was visibly irate as he stood sandwiched between two other passengers on a train stranded at Kalighat station.
Similar sights of overcrowding and minor squabbles among passengers were witnessed near the rows of seats reserved for senior citizens.
While services were normalised on Saturday, the incident added to a growing list of recent operational setbacks faced by the city’s rapid transit system.
The root of the problem lies at Kavi Subhash station in New Garia, which has been indefinitely shut since Monday after serious structural damage was detected. Cracks were found on four pillars supporting the Up platform — used by Dakshineswar-bound trains — following several days of heavy rainfall. Metro workers discovered the cracks during a routine inspection, prompting an immediate suspension of services at the terminal station by Monday afternoon.
Cracks on a column of New Garia Metro station
A Metro spokesperson stated, “As a measure of precaution and to ensure the safety of passengers, services to and from Kavi Subhash station have been withdrawn. Train services on the Blue Line will now operate between Shahid Khudiram and Dakshineswar in both Up and Down directions till further notice.”
“The tracks are completely safe for the running of trains,” the spokesperson added.
Shahid Khudiram station, located at Dhalai Bridge, has taken over as the new temporary southern terminal. Meanwhile, empty rakes are still being moved up to Kavi Subhash for reversal and routine maintenance at the attached depot.
Kavi Subhash had long served as a critical interchange for commuters from Kolkata’s southern fringes. Its indefinite closure has added to the woes of commuters.
“I often travel to Mukundapur for medical purposes, and taking the metro used to be a time-saving option. I would take the Blue Line till Kavi Subhash and then switch to the Orange Line at the station. Now that is not possible,” said Anindita Karmakar, 49, a resident of Naktala.
Abhinaba Ghosh, 23, a student who used to commute to Hazra from Sonarpur via the Kavi Subhash station, has to take a suburban train now.
“Our target is to complete the renovation work within the next nine months. We know that commuters are facing inconvenience now. But safety of passengers remains our utmost priority,” a Metro official said.