According to official updates, Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation will curtail Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar Metro services on 8 November 2026 for Diwali passenger safety and operational security during firecracker celebrations. On Ahmedabad corridors between Vastral Gam and Thaltej Gam and between APMC and Koteshwar Road, trains will run from 6.20 am to 7 pm instead of the usual close near 11 pm. On Gandhinagar corridors between APMC and Mahatma Mandir and between APMC and GIFT City, services will run from 6.20 am to 6 pm against a normal close near 9 pm.
This development matters because GMRC is trading evening revenue for safety risk control on a festival night when firecrackers raise trackside and station hazards. Shorter Diwali hours also force last mile bus and cab demand earlier in the evening across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. For suppliers of station security and CCTV, the early close is a live case of how metro operators price firework risk.
If expert opinion is to be believed, GMRC will repeat a 6 pm to 7 pm Diwali close in future years unless incident data from 8 November show the cut was too severe for demand. The gap with Delhi Metro, which still runs until 10 pm on Diwali, will draw passenger comparison. Cities that keep late metro running on Diwali without extra firecracker controls take a different safety bet.
This development is significant for anyone who runs or supplies metro operations because you should align contractor and security rosters to the 7 pm and 6 pm closes before Sunday. Brief feeder bus partners on the earlier evening peak. Log passenger complaints after Diwali to judge whether GMRC should soften the cut next year.
Ahmedabad Mirror, 7 November 2026. The Times of India, November 2026. DeshGujarat, 6 November 2026.
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