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The Kolkata Metro saw a total of 46.5 lakh passengers during the Durga Puja period from Panchami to Dashami this year. The single busiest day was Panchami, when 9.8 lakh people used the Metro, the highest daily ridership ever recorded in its history. Metro officials said that on that day, office commuters
and puja-goers were travelling together, which led to the record-breaking crowd. On Saptami, the network carried over 9 lakh passengers, placing it close to the Panchami figures. On Ashtami, around 8.2 lakh people travelled, while 8.1 lakh commuters used the Metro on Navami (Wednesday).
A Huge Drop in Ridership on Dashami
Ridership dropped sharply on Dashami (Thursday), likely because the festival was winding down and many people stayed home. Only 2.9 lakh passengers travelled that day across the metro network. Services were running on the Blue Line (North-South), Green Line (East-West), Yellow Line (Noapara-Airport), and Purple Line (Joka-Majerhat). The Orange Line (New Garia-Metropolitan) did not operate during the puja days.
Earlier Records of Ridership During the Festive Season
Although ridership was high this year, the total number of passengers was about 4 Lakh less than in 2024. Last year, from Chaturthi to Dashami, the Metro carried 50.5 lakh passengers. When compared to earlier years, this year's number still shows growth. In 2023, around 41 lakh people travelled during the six Puja days starting from Chaturthi. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, the highest recorded ridership during Durga Puja was 45.6 lakh. This means the 2024 figure has crossed the pre-pandemic record, even though it did not reach last year's total.
Overall, this Durga Puja saw very high usage of the Metro, especially on the first few festive days, showing its importance for both daily travel and festival outings.
