Navi Mumbai metro rail line 1 services to begin today

CIDCO said the services on the 11.10-kilometre route were being thrown open to the public without any official programme. “The metro service will commence on Friday between Pendhar to Belapur Terminal and Belapur Terminal to Pendhar at 3pm, with the last service being at 10pm

Navi Mumbai: The wait for Navi Mumbai metro has finally ended as the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) said it will commence its commercial operation from November 17. The decision was taken after chief minister Eknath Shinde directed the planning agency to commence on Line number 1 between Belapur and Pendhar in the interests of common citizens.

Navi Mumbai, India - Nov. 28, 2023:CIDCO to start services Metro corridor in Navi Mumbai from Belapur to Pendhar at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, India, on Saturday, November 28, 2021. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

CIDCO said the services on the 11.10-kilometre route were being thrown open to the public without any official programme. “The metro service will commence on Friday between Pendhar to Belapur Terminal and Belapur Terminal to Pendhar at 3pm, with the last service being at 10pm. From November 18, the first service between Pendhar to Belapur Terminal and Belapur Terminal to Pendhar will be at 6am, while the last will be at 10pm. The frequency will be 15 minutes,” CIDCO said.

“The fares are ₹10 for 0 to 2 KM, ₹15 for 2 to 4 KM, ₹20 for 4 to 6 KM, ₹25 for 6 to 8 KM, ₹30 for 8 to 10 KM and ₹40 for distances beyond 10 KM,” it added.

“The much-awaited metro services will commence on line 1 between Belapur to Pendhar from November 17. Hearty congratulations to all Navi Mumbaikars. The Maharashtra government had given instructions to CIDCO that the metro should be made operational at the earliest for the citizens of Navi Mumbai. Accordingly Metro services are being commenced without waiting for official public programme,” the CM said.

Incidentally, the metro route was complete and certified for operations some time ago but the state government was reportedly waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate it.

“The metro services will provide better connectivity within Navi Mumbai. The government aims to build a strong network of metro lines in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. CIDCO is implementing the metro network very effectively in Navi Mumbai,” Shinde further said.

CIDCO vice chairperson and managing director Anil Diggikar said line 1 will ensure better connectivity for rapidly developing Kharghar and Taloja nodes along with CBD Belapur.

It will give Navi Mumbai a better and more efficient public transport system and will strengthen its presence as an international city, Diggikar added.

The metro route between Belapur and Pendhar has 11 stations, with the depot located at Taloja Panchanand.

Deepak Sudhija, a resident of Kharghar, who spends approximately ₹12,000 monthly only on auto fare said starting of metro services is a big relief for him. “In 2018, I shifted from sector 27 of Kharghar to sector 35 because of the proximity to Metro. The station is at walkable distance, however, the project kept getting stalled. Now that metro services are finally commencing, it is a big relief financially as commuting here is costly.”