With large crowds expected across the city on New Year’s Eve, the Kolkata Metro Railway has announced a set of security and operational measures aimed at managing passenger movement and ensuring safety on the night of 31 December.
Security arrangements will be intensified at key stations, including Esplanade, Park Street, Maidan, Rabindra Sadan, Dum Dum and Dakshineswar, where additional Railway Protection Force personnel will be deployed.
Officials said the focus would be on regulating crowd flow and responding quickly to any untoward situation during peak travel hours.
Park Street, which typically sees heavy footfall on New Year’s Eve, will have enhanced arrangements in place.
Women RPF officers and staff will be posted at the station to provide assistance to women and children. Special teams will remain on standby at Park Street, Maidan and Esplanade, while a Quick Response Team will also be kept in readiness at these locations to deal with emergencies if required.
Metro’s Central Control will be staffed adequately through the night, with real-time CCTV monitoring across stations to maintain continuous surveillance.
At Park Street station, queue managers, ropes and loud hailers will be used to control passenger movement and prevent congestion.
Anti-sabotage checks will be carried out with the help of a dog squad as part of routine security measures.
An additional special team comprising one officer and four staff will be stationed at Park Street, while more RPF personnel will be deployed at Park Street, Maidan and Esplanade to guide commuters and provide assistance during late-night operations.
Alongside security measures, Metro Railway will operate additional services on the Blue Line to ease travel after celebrations.
On 31 December, eight extra services, four Up and four Down, will be run after 21.40 hours between Dakshineswar and Shahid Khudiram.
The additional trains are intended to reduce crowding and speed up dispersal from busy stations late in the evening.
Metro Railway has urged commuters to follow instructions issued by Metro staff and security personnel and cooperate with on-ground arrangements to ensure orderly movement during the New Year’s Eve rush.