Sealdah Division Introduces Services to Manage Rush Post East-West Metro Launch

Quick Summary

• daily passenger footfall at KolkataS Sealdah Railway Division has surged by approximately 50,000 per station following the opening of the East-West Metro Green Line.
• The total daily footfall across Sealdah division exceeds 15 lakh, with important increases noted at both Sealdah and Dum Dum stations.
• The East-West Metro green Line was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 22, connecting Howrah, Kolkata, Bidhan Nagar economic hubs, and major stations like Howrah and Sealdah.
• On its inauguration’s first working day, ridership reached nearly 83,000; weekday averages are about 1.8 lakh passengers with peak numbers hitting 1.94 lakh on August 29.
• to manage increased demand, authorities will introduce two additional AC EMUs and optimise evening peak services at Bidhannagar station alongside other adjustments to regular train services.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The launch of Kolkata’s East-West Metro Green Line marks a transformative step in urban connectivity for the region.Increased passenger volumes underscore its importance in reshaping commuter habits across economic zones and densely populated railway hubs like Sealdah and Howrah stations. While improvements such as adding AC EMUs aim to alleviate congestion during peak hours, sustained alignment between metro operations and suburban rail traffic is crucial for maintaining efficiency without disrupting existing local routes.

Strategically connecting vital transport nodes not only boosts daily commutes but could catalyze broader socio-economic benefits-enhancing mobility across residential areas and job clusters while reducing reliance on road-based transportation over time. however, handling such massive traffic growth will require adaptive planning to distribute pressure uniformly within the network for long-term scalability.Read more