Metro-1 to run more frequently from Monday

The revised schedule will also add eight weekday services and increase carrying capacity on the high-demand stretch by more than 20%, officials said

Mumbai: Commuters on the busy Andheri-Ghatkopar stretch of Metro-1 will have to wait less for a train from Monday, with Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd (MMOPL) reducing the peak-hour gap between services to three minutes from the current three minutes 20 seconds.

Mumbai: A metro train arrives at a station after Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) allowed resumption of metro train services in the Versova- Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor from Oct. 19, at Andheri station in Mumbai, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)(PTI17-10-2020_000136B) (PTI)

The revised schedule will also add eight weekday services and increase carrying capacity on the high-demand stretch by more than 20%, officials said.

Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd (MMOPL) operates the 11.4-km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor, one of the city’s key east-west links.

Under the new arrangement, alternate trains will run only between Ghatkopar and Andheri, while the next train will continue along the full Ghatkopar-Versova route. This will allow the operator to increase the number of trains on the Andheri-Ghatkopar section without adding new infrastructure.

The operator expects the change to increase carrying capacity on the section by more than 20%, with over 85% of passengers travelling between Ghatkopar and Andheri expected to benefit.

“Under the revised schedule, one train will operate on a short loop between Ghatkopar and Andheri, while the following next train will continue to run on the full Ghatkopar-Versova route. It will raise carrying capacity on the Ghatkopar -Andheri section by more than 20%,” said an official from MMOPL.

The trade-off will be for commuters on the Versova-Azad Nagar section, where the peak-hour gap will increase to 362 seconds under the revised arrangement.

“The mixed-loop operations are part of our ongoing efforts to optimise train operations and maximise the capacity of our existing infrastructure,” said Shyamantak Choudhury, CEO, Mumbai Metro One. “The revised arrangement was intended to reduce waiting times and increase carrying capacity during peak hours.”