Commuters in Kolkata will face a temporary suspension of Metro services between Garia and Tollygunge this Sunday, as engineers begin critical work on a new rake reversal facility at Shahid Khudiram station. The construction is intended to ease operational challenges that have persisted since the closure of Kavi Subhash terminal earlier this year.
The disruption, scheduled until 4 pm, marks the first physical step towards creating a crossover at Shahid Khudiram. Metro authorities confirmed that work would begin late on Saturday night and continue through the following afternoon. Once completed, the new track system will allow trains to reverse without travelling to the structurally compromised Kavi Subhash station, where cracks were found in pillars supporting the tracks. For weeks, commuters have endured truncated services and timetable inconsistencies, as rakes were forced to travel beyond Shahid Khudiram to turn around. The absence of a crossover had led to delays, with several trains terminating unexpectedly at Tollygunge, sparking passenger confusion and overcrowding during peak hours. Officials acknowledged the inconvenience but said the crossover project was essential to restoring efficiency on the Blue Line.
Technical experts said the construction window has been planned to cause minimum disruption, though the scale of the work means complete suspension of operations between Tollygunge and Shahid Khudiram is unavoidable. According to officials, the civil engineering portion of the project should be completed in less than a month, after which signalling and integration will follow. Once operational, the crossover will ensure seamless reversal of trains, reducing the current dependency on Kavi Subhash and stabilising service frequency. In a parallel move to accommodate city-wide needs, authorities announced that Metro services on the Tollygunge–Dakshineswar corridor will begin earlier than usual this Sunday to assist thousands of examinees appearing for the state recruitment tests. Similarly, East-West Metro’s Green Line will start operations from 8 am, an hour earlier than its scheduled Sunday service.
Transport planners believe that while the disruption is temporary, the upgrade will significantly enhance long-term efficiency, making the Metro system more resilient. The ongoing modernisation of Kolkata Metro is being framed as part of a larger agenda to offer safe, sustainable and equitable urban mobility in one of India’s most densely populated cities. Officials reiterated that safety remains paramount, and the infrastructure upgrade is critical to avoiding future risks. For the city’s daily commuters, this means another Sunday of disruption—but with the promise of smoother and safer rides ahead.
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