Metro Rail authorities registered a whopping sale in tickets following the extension of the project between Tollygunge and Garia Bazaar.

Chief Public Relations Manager of Metro Rail RN Mahapatra said the sale of tickets shot up by more than a lakh after the extension. On Monday, Metro sold 5.33 lakh tickets compared to the normal sale of 4.25 lakh tickets during a busy day. Nazrul station at Garia Bazar sold 27,688 tickets from its four counters on Monday, Mahapatra added.

An average increase in the sale of tickets would be ascertained after a few days, said a Metro official.

Passengers, meanwhile, alleged that the frequency of six minutes for the train services in peak hours was not maintained even on Tuesday. Metro Rail authorities admitted that they could not maintain the frequency of six minutes during peak hours owing to the new traffic signal system installed in the added tracks. They said they have to observe for at least a week to identify the problems in the new traffic signal system.

Metro Rail authorities have decided that the last train for Garia would leave Tollygunge at 9.20 pm and the last train for Dumdum from Garia would leave at 9.40 pm.

A Metro official said the last four trains leaving Dumdum would be terminated at

Tollygunge and these trains would not go to Garia for technical reasons. He said that the car sheds have not been constructed at New Garia, so it was not possible to ply the last four trains up to there.