Metro stations on the Blue Line, the north-south corridor, were crowded and trains packed even on Sunday. While not as chaotic as in recent days, the rush was clearly visible, partly driven by Puja shoppers.

Around 6.20 pm, as a train arrived at Esplanade, large crowds disembarked and boarded the coaches. Space inside was scarce. Many passengers at Esplanade were headed to New Market. Stations such as Kalighat, Park Street, and Shyambazar also saw heavy footfall.

According to a Metro official, passenger numbers steadily increased through the day, peaking in the evening.

For weeks, the Blue Line has seen overcrowding during both peak and non-peak hours, with passengers jostling for space on platforms and inside coaches. Train doors often fail to shut at one go, causing longer stoppages at stations.

On Sunday, service between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) and Shahid Khudiram (Briji) was suspended until 3.40pm to allow the installation of a reversal point at Shahid Khudiram. This station is serving as the southern terminal since July 28, after services were halted at Kavi Subhash (New Garia) due to cracks in platform pillars.

The new reversal point will reduce the time trains currently take to switch tracks, a delay that has contributed to overcrowding on platforms and inside coaches.

“A power block was in place to carry out civil engineering work, which began around 11pm on Saturday and ended by 3pm on Sunday,” said a Metro official. “The first Dakshineswar-bound train left Shahid Khudiram at 3.40pm.”

The civil work involved laying a new track connecting the New Garia-bound and Dakshineswar-bound lines. This link will allow trains to reverse direction.

“An uninterrupted schedule was necessary for the engineering work. Once the civil work is complete, signalling and telecommunication upgrades will follow. Those can be done in phases during weekday operations,” the official added.

The official was non-commital when asked if a similar service block would be required next weekend.

“The reversal point will undergo a series of tests, but we aim to finish the work before Durga Puja,” the official said.

The frequent delays and overcrowding have left many passengers worried about managing the Puja rush. Durga Puja is less than a month away. The rush typically begins about two weeks before Puja and peaks near Sashthi. During Puja days, the Metro runs trains through the night.

The recent commissioning of three new links — Sealdah-Esplanade, Ruby-Beleghata, and Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar — has increased the load on the north-south corridor. The Sealdah-Esplanade link completed the East-West corridor (Green Line) between Sector V and Howrah Maidan.

This Green Line boost has raised the average daily passenger count by over 1 lakh, adding pressure to the already crowded Blue Line, where delays caused by the missing reversal point at Shahid Khudiram continue to cause problems, the official said.