Unlock 4.0: Kolkata Metro likely to resume services from Sept 14, releases guidelines

Kolkata Metro Rail authorities on Wednesday released new guidelines for the city's underground metro network following the likes of Delhi, Noida, and Bengaluru.

The metro rail services are likely to resume from September 14 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except on Sundays.

As per the new guidelines, e-pass will be made available on the Metro Rail`s official website or on the Pathadisha app, and a passenger needs to book 12 hours prior to the journey.

The guidelines further stated that trains will stop for 30 seconds now at every station, instead of 20 seconds earlier.

The seats will have cross marks where passengers are permitted to sit.

Further, if any station falls under the COVID-19 containment zone, it will remain closed.

The new guidelines also stated that the last train will start at 7 p.m. from both the end stations.

Officials of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the state police will jointly screen all the passengers with valid e-passes before entering the station premises.

Moreover, every passenger has to wear masks and undergo thermal screening before entering the station. Further, Only three persons will be allowed to use the elevator at a time.

No passenger will be allowed to commute if he/she has a cough or fever.

However, the date of the resumption of the Kolkata metro has not been officially confirmed yet.

"We are not confirming now that the service will resume from September 14. But there is a possibility. Metro service will run on September 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), and that is confirmed," Kolkata Metro Rail spokesperson told IANS.

As per the Central government's Unlock 4.0 guidelines which came into effect from September 1, metro services have been allowed to resume services across the country from September 7

(With IANS inputs)