Kolkata: Metro Railway is all set to extend revenue services by one-and-a-half hours on the Blue Line and 65 minutes on the Green Line from next Monday.Metro will run from 6 am to 10.30 pm between Dakshineswar and Shahid Khudiram stations or the Blue Line, barring Sundays.Services on the Green Line or the East-West metro will also commence from 6 am between Monday and Saturday. The last train will leave Howrah Maidan and Sector V stations at 10.30 pm, from Monday to Saturday.On Sundays, trains will run on both these routes from 9 am as usual, till 10.30 pm.Both these routes will get 12 extra services on weekdays and six on Sundays. Now, 272 services are available on the Blue Line on weekdays, 258 on Saturdays and 158 on Sundays. The Green Line has 236 services on weekdays, 212 on Saturdays and 111 on Sundays.Metro Railway had withdrawn the special night trains on the Blue Line from Sept 3. This service was being run from 10.40 pm since May 24 last year. It was unable to continue with the night services to facilitate the rake reversal facility installation at Shahid Khudiram station.To accommodate the extended operations, Metro staff must report to work at 5 am instead of 6 am.Booking counters will be shut at 9.25 pm. Those who need to buy tickets can avail the automatic vending machines, said sources.Metro has been trying to shift gears to unmanned stations to cope with its staff shortage. Subhasis Sengupta, vice-president, Metro Railway Progotisil Shramik Karmachari Union, said, “It’s all very good to extend operation hours. But the authorities must also upgrade logistics”. It’s not as if the stations will get deserted after 9.25 pm. A shift in-charge and a commercial porter will continue to work beyond 9.30 pm, sources said. Point stations like Dakshineswar or Girish Park will also have a panel operator and a pointsman.
