Aarey JVLR to BKC metro receives safety clearance

On Thursday, the chief commissioner of Metro rail safety issued the last set of clearances for the stretch which will be inaugurated by PM Modi

Mumbai: Metro 3 or the aqua line – Mumbai’s first and Maharashtra’s second underground metro rail corridor – is all set to be thrown open to the public between Aarey JVLR and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). On Thursday, the chief commissioner of Metro rail safety issued the last set of clearances for the stretch which will be inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

uilt at a cost of ₹37,275.82 crore, the entire Metro 3 corridor is scheduled to be ready by June 2025. But the route’s operation may be extended till Acharya Atre Chowk at Worli by February 2025. (Hindustan Times)

“The safety clearance was issued late in the evening on Thursday,” confirmed SK Gupta, director (projects), Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC).

On Saturday, the prime minister is scheduled to take a ride on the first phase of the corridor spanning 12.44 km and 10 stations. Nine trains will be pressed into service on this route to run a total of 96 daily trips. Initially, services will be operated at a frequency of 7.30 minutes, which will be reduced to 6.40 minutes in due course.

“The time of operation during weekdays will be from 6.30am to 10.30pm whereas on weekends, the first train will depart at 8.30am. The closing hour would remain unchanged,” said Ashwini Bhide, managing director, MMRC.

A total of 48 train captains including 10 women will be tasked with ferrying passengers. Commuters will be able to purchase tickets through an app as well as from physical counters, with the fare ranging from ₹10 to ₹50. By end-October, commuters will be able to buy the National Common Mobility Card, which can be used on all existing Mumbai Metro lines.