Ahmedabad Metro will operate until 2am during Navratri, while additional BRTS buses will run from the GMDC Ground area until 12.30am to help late-night visitors return home, according to a report by Gujarat Samachar – Ahmedabad. The special arrangements will remain in place until October 19.
The extended Ahmedabad Metro Navratri timings are intended to serve people attending late-night garba events and other festival activities across the city. Under the revised schedule, trains will be available until 2am from four stations: Vastral, Thaltej, Koteshwar and APMC.
The report said the APMC-Gandhinagar Sector 1 route will operate until 12.45am during the extended service period. Ahmedabad Metro services usually run until 11pm, making the festival schedule a substantial extension of regular operating hours.
Passengers travelling during the additional late-night hours will not be able to use regular tickets or passes, according to the report. They will instead have to purchase a special paper ticket priced at Rs 50. The ticket will be mandatory for journeys made during the extended operating period.
The Ahmedabad Janmarg BRTS network will also receive additional services from the GMDC Ground area. Buses will operate until 12.30am from the University Station side of the BRTS system, with routes serving Zundal, Maninagar and Odhav Lake.
Ten additional BRTS buses have been planned for these three routes. The arrangement is focused on moving passengers away from one of the city’s major garba venues after events conclude, when demand for late-night public transport is expected to be concentrated around the GMDC Ground.
The extended services place Ahmedabad Metro and BRTS at the centre of the city’s festival mobility plan. Together, the two systems will provide late-night connections across key corridors and residential areas, while the special ticket requirement creates a separate fare arrangement for Metro passengers using the additional hours.
The report also stated that Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service, or AMTS, has not announced any special arrangement for Navratri. Its services will continue under the regular system, with no additional late-night operation reported for the festival period.
The revised Metro and BRTS schedules will continue until October 19. The report did not provide details of any further extension beyond that date.
