Kolkata Metro Suspends Howrah Maidan–Esplanade Services for Urgent Maintenance; Purple Line Frequency Increased

Kolkata Metro Railway announced the suspension of train services between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade stations on Sunday, May 18, citing urgent maintenance work. A key portion of this stretch runs beneath the Bhagirathi River, making the operation highly sensitive to technical upkeep.

In an official statement, the Metro authority said, “There will be a complete traffic block due to some urgent maintenance work along this stretch.” In metro terminology, a traffic block refers to a temporary suspension of train services for operational or safety reasons.

Increased Services on Purple Line

In a separate development, Kolkata Metro has enhanced the frequency of services on the Purple Line—currently running between Joka and Majerhat—from May 3. The interval between two trains has been reduced from 50 minutes to 22 minutes, aiming to provide more convenience to commuters in the city’s south-western corridor.

With this change, the number of daily services on this segment has increased from 18 to 40. However, services on the Purple Line remain suspended on Saturdays and Sundays as construction work continues on the extension from Majerhat to Esplanade, where it will eventually connect with the Blue and Green Lines, integrating it into the broader Kolkata Metro network.