Mumbai: The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), operator of the city’s underground Aqua Line (Metro Line 3), is preparing a promotional push to increase ridership on its newest corridor. Officials are considering discount schemes, corporate tie-ups and digital collaborations to attract more passengers, with formal decisions expected later this week.
Phase-wise Inauguration Of Mumbai's 1st Underground Metro
The 33.5 km Aqua Line connects Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai to Aarey in the western suburbs and is being opened in phases. The first stretch, from Aarey-JVLR to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), began operations on October 7, 2024. The second segment, from BKC to Worli’s Acharya Atre Chowk, was inaugurated on May 9 this year and opened to commuters the next day. The final leg to Cuffe Parade is scheduled for launch by the end of August.
Currently, a 12.69 km operational stretch, including the recently opened 9.77 km section, carries over 52,500 passengers daily on weekdays. Before the Worli extension opened, the average ridership per trip was just 91 passengers, far below the trains’ maximum capacity of 2,500. MMRC had projected 1.4 million daily passengers once the entire line is functional.
MMRC's Plan To Boost Ridership
To bridge the gap, the MMRC plans to appoint an external agency to market the metro, identify major commercial and residential hubs near stations and set up promotional kiosks, according to a Hindustan Times report. QR codes at these kiosks will link commuters to the metro’s mobile app. Officials are also considering offering discount coupons for first-time monthly pass users to encourage a shift from road-based transport.
Potential partnerships include collaborations with online platforms, mobile wallets, IRCTC and Indian Railways’ UTS app for ticket bookings. The MMRC is also exploring the integration of Line 3 into Google Maps to improve trip planning. For last-mile connectivity, talks are underway with private taxi operators, e-bike providers, intermediate public transport services and bus operators.
While these promotional activities may be rolled out only by late 2025, a few months after the full line becomes operational, MMRC says the effort is a first-of-its-kind initiative for the corporation. “Such a thing has not been done earlier. We want to give it a try,” said an MMRC official as quoted by HT.
The Aqua Line project’s cost has risen sharply to Rs 37,275.5 crore from the initial Rs 23,136 crore, mainly due to construction delays and legal battles. Environmentalists had earlier opposed tree felling in south Mumbai and the location of the car depot at Aarey Milk Colony, leading to prolonged disputes before work could proceed.
