The ambitious Mumbai Metro project’s most crucial phase – the underground section known as Aqua line – will be operational soon, giving Mumbaikars a new year gift, it is hoped. This largest urban rail project of the country is a tribute to the Maharashtra government’s one more achievement. Once fully operational, the Mumbai metro will provide commuters in the Mumbai Metro Regopm (MMR )with seamless, cheap and comfortable connectivity solutions.
Being implemented by the Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority (MMRDA), the completely underground stretch known as the Aqua Line is administered by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) under able leadership of senior IAS officer Ashwini Bhide.
The Maharashtra government started the Mumbai metro project in 2006 with a promise that it would be operational within two years. However, it took six long years, causing untold hardship to the residents of the areas along the Versova—Ghatkopar line. Already harassed by bad roads and encroachments, the urban train corridor provided immense relief to the commuters, whose number has been swelling by the day. The justification for the delay was a standard excuse : delays in land acquisition and receiving environmental clearances, belated project approvals and local opposition. However, finally in 2014, the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar could become operational. Now, MMRDA is in the process of acquiring full ownershio of the line. The remaining lines of the Mumbai metro are in various stages of construction and completion.
The Aqua Line, also known as Line 3, will be 33.5 km in length. It will be completely underground and connect Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai with SEEPZ and Aarey in north Mumbai. It will have with 26 underground stations and one at-grade station. As this metro route will touch the Mumbai airport as well, it will provide a further accelerator to the overall connectivity in MMR and in Mumbai. Aqua Line will integrate at Mumbai CSMT, Churchgate, Grant Road and Mumbai Central railway stations, the MSRTC bus depot at Dadar, the Monorail at Mahalakshmi and with Mumbai Metro Lines 1 and 2B.
The total construction outlay of Line 3 was initially estimated at over Rs 23000 crore. However, owing to the Covid pandemic and other factors, cost escalations became inevitable. Subsequently, the Maharashtra government has approved an additional expenditure of Rs 10,269 crore in August 2022.Now, the project cost will exceed Rs 33000 crore. Financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Line 3 by 2031 will be carrying 17 lakh commuters daily. Around 110 services are being planned on the 12 km Phase -1 portion within a travel time of 25 minutes.
The Line 3 station concourses will be 10-14 meters below ground and the platforms will be 18-20 meters below ground. As this will make it difficult to maintain internet networks, MMRC has planned to make cellular coverage possible through measures like installation of antennas and repeaters within underground stations and tunnels. This initiative will ensure uninterrupted mobile and internet connectivity for the commuters.
The second phase, which will run between BKC and Cuffe Parade, will be ready by June 2024. A total of 26 stations will be made on the Mumbai metro line 3. The entire Mumbai metro line 3 runs over 33 km- the longest underground stretch. The deadline for the project was 2021. However, it was delayed due to many issues like limitations on methods, shortage of space and more.
The first phase of the Mumbai Metro project is progressing as planned, and they are hopeful that it will be operational by the end of this year, reported Times Now. The targeted date for commissioning Phase I is December 2023, but could be pushed back to March 2024.”
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation successfully bid for managing the operations of Mumbai Metro Line 3 for a period of ten years. DMRC will oversee managing the operation control centre, depot control centre, stations, running trains, maintaining trains and the entire metro system infrastructure and assuring commuter
Line 3 will have a major challenge ahead since even after the entire line ( Phases 1 & 2 ) are operational in mid-2024, Kalbadevi and Girgaum stations under Phase 2 will not be operational for some time, it is felt. The construction of these underground stations is likely to be finished only after the monsoon 2024. Nonetheless, Line 3 will have connectivity with suburban train stations at CSMT, Churchgate, Charni road, Mumbai Central and Mahalakshmi.
The multiple interchange stations to connect to other metro lines or suburban railway stations in the 27-station route map of Aqua Line 3 will include :
Once the various metro corridors are operational, the real estate scenario of Mumbai in particular and MMR in general will witness a fantastic transformation. Ever since the construction on Aqua Line 3 began in 2017, many projects along these routes are on the anvil. Now, five years later, an upward trend in prices of properties and projects near these routes has been reported by housing experts. Several property experts anticipate that the prices of residential properties in Navi Mumbai and Thane will also show an upward trend with the Aqua Line becoming operational as it will offer seamless connectivity with the commercial hubs spread all over MMR.
Mumbai continues to be a magnet for the people from all states of India and from different walks of life in search of a employment and business. Called the City of Dreams, Mumbai will be poised for excellent commuting connectivity in the near future.
A Column By
Dilip Chaware – Senior Editor
A media professional for 43 years, with extensive experience of writing on
a variety of subjects; he is also a documentary producer and book author.
