Kolkata Metro to run from 6 am, last train extended to 10.30 pm from July 27
Synopsis
Kolkata Metro is pushing its first train 50 minutes earlier to 6 am and extending its last service by 46 minutes to 10.30 pm — but it is explicitly a trial, and the city has been here before. A previous court-directed extension failed for the same two reasons still unresolved: poor last-mile connectivity and inadequate late-night safety for women.
Key Takeaways
Metro Railway, Kolkata will run first trains from 6 am (currently 6.50 am) from 27 July 2026 .
Last train extended to 10.30 pm from the current 9.44 pm on Blue and Green Lines , Monday–Saturday.
Blue Line weekday services increase from 260 to 272 ; Green Line from 228 to 236 .
The expansion is on an experimental basis and may be withdrawn if ridership is insufficient.
Last-mile connectivity and women's safety near stations remain unresolved concerns flagged by commuters.
Metro extensions to Barasat and Barrackpore are reportedly under consideration.
Metro Railway, Kolkata will advance its first train departure to 6 am — from the current 6.50 am — and extend its last service to 10.30 pm, up from 9.44 pm, effective 27 July 2026. The revised timings will apply to the Blue Line and Green Line from Monday to Saturday, benefiting students, office-goers, and late-evening commuters across the city.
What Changes on Each Line
On the Blue Line — the country's first metro corridor, connecting Garia in south Kolkata to Dakshineswar in the north — weekday services (Monday–Friday) will increase from 260 to 272 per day. Saturday services go up from 246 to 258, and Sunday services rise from 152 to 158.
The Green Line, which links Howrah Maidan in the west to Salt Lake Sector V — eastern India's primary IT hub — will see weekday services climb from 228 to 236. Saturday services increase from 204 to 212, and Sunday services from 108 to 111. On Sundays, both lines will operate from 9 am to 10.30 pm.
An Experimental Move, With Caveats
A senior Metro Railway official confirmed the expansion is being rolled out on a trial basis. 'While this will mean an extra burden on the Metro's finances, there has been a demand to extend the timings, both in the mornings and evenings. A lot of planning has gone into these decisions, and we have taken all stakeholders into confidence. We just hope there is sufficient patronage,' the official said.
The official added that the decision may be withdrawn if ridership does not meet expectations — a caution rooted in recent history. When the last-train timings were previously extended following a Calcutta High Court directive based on public petitions, the experiment yielded limited uptake, with commuters citing poor last-mile connectivity and safety concerns, particularly for women.
The Last-Mile and Safety Gap
For the extended hours to succeed, analysts and commuters argue that the state government must simultaneously improve feeder connectivity from metro stations to surrounding neighbourhoods. Security outside stations will also need to be strengthened, especially for women who may reach their destinations after 11.30 pm.
This comes amid broader infrastructure momentum in Kolkata, with extension of metro services to Barasat and Barrackpore also reportedly under consideration.
Why This Matters
Kolkata's metro network serves as the arterial spine of the city's public transport. Longer operational windows could reduce dependence on autorickshaws and app-based cabs during peak-morning and late-evening windows, directly easing commute pressure for thousands. Notably, the Blue Line alone is among the most heavily patronised urban rail corridors in eastern India, making any service expansion consequential for the city's daily rhythm.
Whether the revised schedule sustains itself will depend on how quickly last-mile infrastructure and station-area security catch up — the same two factors that undermined the previous extension attempt.
Point of View
But Kolkata Metro is attempting the same experiment it tried before — and the structural barriers that caused it to fail last time, poor last-mile connectivity and inadequate late-night safety for women, remain unaddressed. Longer hours on paper mean little if commuters cannot safely get from the station to their homes at 11.30 pm. The state government's infrastructure push will be judged not by the Metro's departure board, but by whether feeder routes and station-area policing actually improve before the trial period ends.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Kolkata Metro's new timings come into effect?
The new timings take effect from 27 July 2026, Monday to Saturday, on the Blue and Green Lines. First trains will depart at 6 am and the last service will run at 10.30 pm.
Which metro lines are covered under the revised schedule?
Only the Blue Line (Garia to Dakshineswar) and the Green Line (Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V) are covered in this revision. These are the two most heavily patronised corridors in the Kolkata Metro network.
Is the extended timing permanent?
No — the extension is explicitly on an experimental basis. Metro Railway officials have stated the decision may be reversed if there is insufficient ridership, mirroring a previous extension that was rolled back.
Why did a previous late-night metro extension in Kolkata fail?
An earlier extension, directed by the Calcutta High Court following public petitions, saw low uptake because commuters cited inadequate feeder connectivity from stations to their homes and safety concerns for women travelling late at night.
How many additional services will be added daily?
On the Blue Line, weekday services increase from 260 to 272. On the Green Line, weekday services go from 228 to 236. Saturday and Sunday services on both lines also see incremental additions.
