The Aarey-BKC stretch includes 10 stations and 9 trains,and will have 260 round-trip services daily from 6 am to 11 pm.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) has extended the deadline for completing the first phase of the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro 3 corridor, specifically the Aarey-Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) section, to April.
The delay is attributed to ongoing work on the car shed. Once completed, the 12.5km Aarey-BKC stretch will provide connectivity to domestic and international airports, along with linking to the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro 1 at Marol station. The route is expected to have around 17 lakh daily passengers.
Ashwini Bhide, MMRCL managing director said, “Earlier, we had announced December 2023 as the opening date for Phase I, but work on the shunting neck, which will connect the depot to the main line, is still underway. We hope to open the Phase I line by March- April and the Phase II line – BKC-Cuffe Parade stretch – by September-October.”
The Aarey-BKC stretch has 10 stations and nine trains. Two trains are reserved for maintenance and standby, while the remaining seven are in active service. The plan involves operating 260 round-trip services daily (130 in each direction) from 6 am to 11 pm, depending on passenger demand.
The MMRCL has ordered 31 trains from Alstom for the entire 33.5-km corridor, with 11 trains already delivered. However, only nine will be used in phase one, with two currently undergoing testing. The Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 Corridor, covering 33.5 km with 26 underground stations, aims to improve public transport in Mumbai.
The Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3 connects with the suburban railway, other Mumbai Metro lines, and existing transport modes at eight points, including major rail termini, Grant Road, Mumbai Central, MSRTC bus depot, Dadar, Mahalaxmi, and BKC (integrating with Mumbai Metro Line 2-B and Line 1).
The MMRCL expects to finish work on the shunting neck at the Aarey depot site by the end of January. After that, trials and inspections will begin. Delays in the depot construction were due to earlier tree-felling permission issues, political disputes over the site, and monsoon-related setbacks.
In March, the Bombay High Court temporarily stopped tree-felling in Aarey Colony, instructing MMRCL to approach the Supreme Court. In April, the Supreme Court approved the decision but fined MMRCL Rs 10 lakh.
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