Metro trains will not run through the night from Saptami to Navami this year as a precaution against Covid-19, officials said on Tuesday.
“We do not want to take any chances. Experts are anticipating a surge in Covid-19 cases after the Puja. Metro travel is easy and fast and our night trains are packed during the Puja. So, we have decided not to run trains through the night this year,” a Metro official said.
In 2019, Metro carried 61.6 lakh passengers between Tritiya and Dashami. On Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, the first and last trains left the terminal stations at 1pm and 4am.
“We used to witness maximum rush between 8.30pm and 1am. There would not be an inch of space left to stand,” said the official. “When doctors are insisting on caution this year, we should not encourage such crowding.”
A large number of Metro commuters on the Puja days were from suburbs and they would come to the city by suburban trains, which are still suspended because of the pandemic.
When Metro services resumed on September 14, the number of daily trains was 110 and the last trains left the terminal stations at 7pm.
Since then, the number of trains has gone up and the timings have been extended more than once. From Monday, Metro has been running 146 trains from Monday to Saturday. The last trains now leave the terminal stations at 8.30pm.
The authorities want to extend the timings by around an hour by the Puja, sources said. Before the pandemic, the last trains left the terminal stations at 9.55pm.
“Nothing has been finalised. The threat of Covid-19 looms large over us. The scale of the crisis is unprecedented and we have to act accordingly,” Metro spokesperson Indrani Banerjee said.
Senior citizens
Starting Wednesday, senior citizens will be able to enter Metro stations throughout the day without an e-pass. They will just have to show their I-cards at the gates.
For others, an e-pass is mandatory to enter a station. A smart card is a must for entering a platform for everyone, irrespective of age.
Till now, people aged 60 and above could enter Metro stations from Monday to Saturday without an e-pass between 11.30am and 4.30pm, provided they produced an age proof. Only on Sundays could they enter a station any time by just showing an age proof.
“Now, that time bar has been removed in view of the increased train services during the rush hours,” said Banerjee.