Mumbai: Even as Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) is conducting trials on Metro 3 or Aqua Line, it will not be before July, 2024 when the commissioning of the Phase 1 of the metro between Aarey Colony and BKC will be possible.
Metro 3 is a 33.5-km-long underground corridor running along Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ. The length of the corridor is marked with 27 key stations out of which 26 will be underground and one at grade.
“Currently, testing and trials for Phase 1 are on. There are multiple layers of clearances such as Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Independent Safety Assessor (ISA), Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) in sequence. RDSO is expected to visit and inspect the metro route from June 3. As we go ahead there will be more clarity,” Managing Director of MMRCL, Ashwini Bhide said.
“We expect CMRS to inspect the route in July. Commissioning of the route would be possible only after their certification,” Bhide added. When asked whether construction of Aarey depot is complete, she replied in the affirmative and said, “Everything needed for the commissioning of Phase 1 is almost ready.”
The Aarey depot spans 30 Ha with 5 Ha preserved in their natural state. The remaining 25 Ha accommodate a station alongside the depot, which includes facilities for maintenance, operations, administration, and training.
Designed to house 30 trains, each with eight cars, the depot's construction cost is estimated at Rs 328 Crore. While the depot is nearly ready, the operations and control centre will not be fully operational for the initial phase. Instead, a backup operations and control centre at Bandra-Kurla Complex will manage the early operations.
The efficiency of the metro network will largely depend on the functionality of the operations and control centre, which oversees real-time data on train movements, station activities, and passenger flow, ensuring smooth and efficient service. This centre also plays a critical role in emergency response, managing communications with emergency services and deploying resources as needed.
MMRCL currently has 19 rakes in its fleet, which is sufficient to operate Phase 1 of the underground metro corridor. Once ready, 260 services will cater to an estimated 17 lakh passengers daily. MMRCL is also working on the multi-modal integration of stations, which will involve connectivity with other modes of public transport for the last mile, good footpaths outside the stations, seating arrangements and foot over bridges wherever needed.
Stations on Metro 3: Cuffe Parade; Vidhan Bhavan; Churchgate; Hutatma Chowk; CST Metro; Kalabadevi; Girgaon; Grant Road; Mumbai Central Metro; Mahalaxmi; Science Museum; Acharya Atre Chowk; Worli; Siddhivinayak; Dadar; Sitaladevi; Dharavi; BKC; Vidyanagari; Santacruz; Domestic Airport; Sahar Road; International Airport; Marol Naka; MIDC; SEEPZ, Aarey Depot
