More than 14 lakh people took Metro rides between Monday and 7pm on Tuesday, a Metro official said. The number would rise further as trains on two key corridors — the north-south (Blue Line) and East-West (Green Line) — run till around 10.30pm.

The jump in ridership followed the commissioning of three new stretches on Monday, adding 14km to the network, linking the airport and creating seamless connections between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan, and Ruby and Beleghata. The total Metro network now spans 74km.

“On Monday, total footfall across the network was around 8 lakh — just under 6 lakh on the Blue Line and nearly 2 lakh on the Green Line,” said a Metro official. The rest came from the Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar (airport), Kavi Subhash-Beleghata, and Joka-Majerhat stretches.

Till 7pm on Tuesday, the total footfall was just over 6 lakh.

Rush at stations

On Day 2, long queues at ticket counters were visible even outside peak hours.

Around 1.30pm, the two counters at Kalighat station had lines stretching back to the staircases.

The queues were longer at stations like Howrah, Sealdah, and Sector V during office hours.

Public address systems across stations repeatedly urged passengers to switch to the Metro app or smart cards. “Please use the app or smart card to avoid waiting in queues. A ticket booked on the app is 5 per cent cheaper than one bought at the counter,” the announcement said.

App glitches ease

On Monday, many passengers complained that the Yellow Line (Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar) was not available as a source or destination on the Metro Railway app. By Tuesday, the issue was partially resolved.

“The app has more than 10 lakh users. The roll-out of the Yellow Line is staggered. Most users can access the stations now. By Wednesday, it should be available for all,” said a Metro official.

Smooth commute

Around 2.30pm on Tuesday, the subway connecting Sealdah Metro with the Sealdah Main suburban section was crowded.

“The Metro is time-saving and comfortable,” said Saibal Halder, who travels regularly to the districts for work. Halder, a Chetla resident, used to depend on buses or suburban trains from Tollygunge to reach Sealdah. On Tuesday, he walked to Kalighat, took the Metro to Esplanade, and then changed to reach Sealdah.

Sayoni Ghatak, a software professional working near College More, said her daily commute had become much smoother.

“I live near Howrah Maidan. Earlier, I had to take the Metro from Salt Lake to Sealdah, then a bus to Esplanade, and then again a Metro to Howrah Maidan. The bus ride was a pain — overcrowded and hard to get at night,” she said.

“Now, it’s one seamless, comfortable ride.”