Kolkata Metro Railway will run a modified timetable on Friday, September 4, on account of Janmashtami. Commuters on the Blue, Green and Yellow lines will see fewer trains through the day, though the authority has kept the first and last service timings on all three lines unchanged, and the Purple and Orange lines will run their normal weekday schedule.
What Changes on September 4
The reduced schedule affects three of Kolkata’s five operational Metro corridors. On the Blue Line, the city’s original and busiest corridor running between Dakshineswar and Kavi Subhash, the Metro will run 252 services instead of the usual weekday count. The Green Line, connecting Howrah Maidan to Esplanade and on to Sealdah and Salt Lake Sector V, will run 212 services. The Yellow Line, the newer Noapara to Jai Hind (Airport) corridor, will run 92 services. In each case, Metro Railway has confirmed that while the total number of trains through the day is reduced, the first and last train of the day will depart at their usual scheduled times, so early and late commuters are not affected.
Lines Running Normally
The Purple Line (Joka to Majerhat) and the Orange Line (Kavi Subhash to Ruby, and its ongoing extension) will operate their standard schedule on September 4, with no change to service frequency.
Why the Schedule Changes
Metro Railway routinely trims the number of trains on major religious and public holidays, when overall ridership tends to drop through the day even as travel patterns become less predictable around temples and gathering points. Keeping the first and last service unchanged, while thinning out the trains in between, is the standard approach the authority has used for past festival holidays, giving commuters who need to travel early or late in the day a service they can rely on without flooding the network with near-empty trains at low-traffic hours.
Planning Your Commute on September 4
If you rely on the Blue, Green or Yellow line for a Friday commute, expect longer gaps between trains than on a regular weekday, particularly around midday. Commuters who need a specific departure window are better off checking platform announcements or the Metro Railway’s official channels closer to the day, since a reduced schedule usually means wider intervals rather than a fixed, easily predictable gap. If your journey involves a rail connection beyond the Metro network, our Kolkata local train guide to the Sealdah and Howrah lines covers the suburban rail side of the city’s transport network, which typically continues to run on its usual holiday timetable.
For anyone new to the system or unsure which ticket type suits an occasional Friday trip best, our Kolkata Metro ticket and smart card guide breaks down tokens, QR tickets and smart card recharges, including where to buy and top up before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Kolkata Metro run on Janmashtami, September 4?
Yes. All five lines will operate on September 4, but the Blue, Green and Yellow lines will run a reduced number of services through the day. The Purple and Orange lines will run their normal schedule.
Will the first and last Metro trains be affected?
No. Metro Railway has confirmed that the first and last train timings on the Blue, Green and Yellow lines will remain unchanged on September 4, even though the total number of services through the day is lower.
How many trains will run on the Blue Line on September 4?
The Blue Line, between Dakshineswar and Kavi Subhash, will run 252 services on September 4, down from the regular weekday count.
Which Metro lines are unaffected by the Janmashtami schedule?
The Purple Line (Joka to Majerhat) and the Orange Line (Kavi Subhash to Ruby) will run their normal schedule on September 4.
The Bottom Line
Kolkata Metro stays open right through Janmashtami on September 4, so nobody is stranded, but the Blue, Green and Yellow lines will feel noticeably less frequent through the day. If your plans depend on a specific train, build in a little extra waiting time, especially outside the first and last services of the day.
Sources: IBG News (“Kolkata Metro Announces Special Service Schedule for Janmashtami on September 4,” 31 August 2026), cross-checked against Millennium Post’s Bengal briefs coverage of the same announcement.
Featured image: Metro train arriving at a station platform, photo by Gunnar Ridderström on Unsplash.
