Two new Metro corridors opened for commercial service on Monday, but passengers faced significant confusion due to missing signage, particularly on the airport route.
The Orange Line began operations between Kavi Subhash (New Garia) and Beleghata, while the Yellow Line connected Noapara to Jai Hind Bimanbandar (airport) Metro station — a route that proved challenging to navigate without proper direction boards.
Airport link
On the first day of service between Noapara and the airport, ridership was light. Still, even those who attempted the journey struggled to find their way owing to inadequate signage at both terminals and the connecting tunnel to the airport.
At Noapara station, Jai Hind-bound trains departed from Platform 4, while other platforms served the North-South corridor (Blue Line) between Shahid Khudiram (Briji off EM Bypass) and Dakshineswar. However, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) team at an automatic fare collection gate provided the only source of this crucial information — no signage guided passengers to the correct platform.
“I had to ask for directions to the platform. Before that, I had to spend time finding someone to ask for help,” said R.N. Das, an Indian Army soldier travelling from his home in Murshidabad back to his posting in Dimapur, Nagaland.
The sprawling Jai Hind station, despite its modern design, also lacked directional signage. Passengers arriving there must navigate a complex underground link to reach airport terminal 1A, including an 80-metre tunnel with walkalators and escalators. The
walk from the platform to the tunnel entrance takes five to six minutes, but direction boards were virtually non-existent.
An RPF officer at baggage counters — located more than 300 metres from the platform — served as the sole source of guidance for confused travellers.
Technical glitches
The passenger information systems on trains also malfunctioned. When Jai Hind-bound trains approached Jessore Road station, display boards incorrectly showed Belgachia as the next stop. Upon leaving Jessore Road for the airport, the boards displayed Shyambazar instead of the correct destination.
Metro sources attributed the problem to Yellow Line trains using software calibrated for the Blue Line. New route-specific software will be integrated within a week, Metro officials said.
The benefits
Despite navigation challenges, the airport connection offers significant advantages. The 6.7-kilometre journey from Noapara to Jai Hind takes approximately 12 minutes. In comparison, a commuter from central Calcutta would take over 90 minutes by train and taxi during rush hours. Travellers from south Calcutta can save more than ₹600 in taxi fares.
Das, the armyman, usually travels to Sealdah and then takes a taxi to the airport. On Monday, he went to Howrah station and reached the airport on the Metro, switching from the Blue Line to the Yellow Line at Noapara. “The direct link to the airport saves both time and money,” he said, though he noted that better signage would improve the experience.
The Yellow Line operates eight-coach trains similar to other Metro corridors except the East-West line, which uses six-coach rakes. The combined passenger count across all Metro lines reached just under 5,00,000 by 5pm on Monday.
While the Blue Line typically sees over 600,000 passengers on weekdays, and authorities expect similar numbers for the Green Line, the new routes had more modest ridership. Dum Dum Cantonment and Jessore Road stations remained busy through out the day.
On the Orange Line, 60 trains operated between Beleghata and Kavi Subhash with what officials described as “modest” passenger numbers.
Service hours
The last trains on the Yellow and Orange lines currently leave the terminal stations around 8pm, earlier than the Green and Blue lines, which run until approximately 9.45pm. Metro officials said that signage was being prepared and “would be put up in a week”.