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Passengers who previously paid Rs 5 for the minimum 2 km journey will now pay Rs 15, while those travelling the entire route between New Garia and Dum Dum will pay Rs 35 instead of Rs 25
The surcharge will be applied uniformly, regardless of the distance traveled.
Passengers taking the Kolkata Metro after 10:40 pm will face an additional fare starting December 10, with a surcharge of Rs 10 being added to all tickets. This change applies across the Dum Dum-New Garia section of the North-South Corridor, where the ‘night special’ service has been operational since May 24, 2024. Due to low ridership, the last train’s timing was adjusted by 20 minutes on June 24, 2024.
A Kolkata Metro spokesperson announced on Monday that the special night Metro service from New Garia (Kavi Subhash) to Dum Dum continues to see very low ridership. As a result, the revised fare structure will come into effect. Passengers who previously paid Rs 5 for the minimum 2 km journey will now pay Rs 15, while those travelling the entire route between New Garia and Dum Dum will pay Rs 35 instead of Rs 25.
Many passengers, despite relying on the late-night Metro services, have expressed mixed feelings about the surcharge. Anuj Sen Sharma, an accountant, remarked, “I don’t mind paying an extra Rs 10 if the services are retained. It’s better than losing the convenience altogether.”
However, several passengers criticised the fare increase. Bikash Das, who commutes regularly between Shyambazar and Kalighat, said, “The Metro first withdrew the 11:00 pm service. When we started using the 10:40 pm service thinking it was permanent, this sudden surcharge announcement feels unfair.”
Barun Pal, another commuter, voiced his frustration: “If ridership is low, it’s a failure of the authorities, not the passengers. Penalising us with higher fares is unreasonable. Instead of charging more, they should focus on improving the service.”
Another passengers, Subhashis Sengupta, said, “No other Metro system imposes such arbitrary fare hikes. Continuous late-night services, rather than sporadic ones, could increase ridership. The authorities need to listen to commuters instead of dismissing their concerns.”
According to a Metro official, the operational cost of running the two special night trains is around Rs 2.7 lakh per day, with an additional Rs 50,000 in other expenses. However, the revenue generated from these services remains unsatisfactory, prompting the fare revision.