Kolkata: On the airport-Noapara Metro route, larger crowds boarded at Dum Dum Cantonment and Jessore Road even as the footfall at the terminal station, Jai Hind (Airport), was moderate on the first day of the onset of commercial operations on the Yellow Line. Both of these stations are busy residential and transit hubs. A significant number of office and college goers from the northern fringes chose Dum Dum Cantonment to switch to the Metro, travelling to Noapara and then seamlessly connecting to the Blue Line for workplaces across the city.
"I came by suburban train to Dum Dum Cantonment, entered the Metro station next door, took the train till Noapara, and then switched to the Blue Line to reach Esplanade,"said Barasat resident, Debasis Biswas. Others like Sandip Das of New Barrackpore and Aniruddha Sen of Shyamnagar also opted for the same route. | Gold Rates Today in Kolkata | Silver Rates Today in KolkataFor some, the Yellow Line cut out the hassle of road transport. Chirashree Dutta, who lives near Airport Gate No. 3, said, "I used to depend on autos to reach Dum Dum Metro station, and the queues were unbearable in peak hours. Today, I boarded the metro at Jessore Road station, right in front of my home to commute to my office in Hazra.
" The line also benefited long-distance travellers. Sarbani Daw Pal and her son, Archisman, who returned from Haridwar by Doon Express, used three Metro corridors to get home to Dum Dum. The eight-minute ride between Airport and Noapara passed the suburban tracks below. By midday, Noapara station was as crowded as Dum Dum Metro, underscoring its role as a junction. South-bound passengers could directly access Blue Line trains towards Shahid Khudiram from the same platform without needing stairs or escalators.