A new surface gate has been opened at Noapara Metro station from 2 October to tackle the burgeoning footfall of passengers at the station following the closure of Tallah Bridge. The new gate at the North- West side of the station is expected to give relief to the Metro commuters particularly from Pramodnagar, Belgharia, Dunlop, Bally and Rajchandrapur areas.
“It has been a long-standing demand of the metro commuters to open a gate on that side of Noapara station,” an official said. “The gate comes as a relief to the commuters heading towards Rajchandrapur. They can now avail auto rickshaw services in front of the gate. Commuters bound for Begharia Expressway are also being benefited as they won’t have to walk a long distance before availing another transport from the Metro station,” added the official.
After the closure of Tallah Bridge, the footfall at Noapara Metro station has witnessed a sharp rise. Considering this, the Metro authorities started four additional services from Noapara for Durga Puja to provide relief for the commuters. The Metro Railway authorities are now working on plans to increase the number of services. Although limited fleet of rakes is a hindrance, the Metro authorities are considering increasing services from Noapara with the present fleet.
The only hope for the regular commuters of Noapara Metro now is the final commissioning of the Noapara- Dakhineshwar Metro Corridor. The 3.7 km metro stretch will be a crucial link for a large number of commuters travelling from Northern fringes towards the main parts of the city. However, the Metro passengers in this area are not likely to get this relief soon as the commercial run in the stretch is not expected to start anytime before March 2020.