Charkop car depot to be used for Metro-7 and 2A

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will utilise the car depot at Charkop for Metro-7 (Dahisar E-Andheri-E) initially, along with Metro-2A

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will utilise the car depot at Charkop for Metro-7 (Dahisar E-Andheri-E) initially, along with Metro-2A (Dahisar-DN Nagar). The authority has completed 92% work on the 16.4-hectare (ha) depot, which can house 24 trains, officials said.

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Earlier, MMRDA had decided to utilise the depot only for Metro-2A. However, MMRDA is yet to get land at Dahisar to construct a depot for line 7.

RA Rajeev, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “It [the availability of the Dahisar plot] is linked to handing over an alternative plot to AAI [Airport Authority of India], which is part of a high court case. [The] decision is yet to be taken.”

The Charkop depot will also have 18 stabling lines [area to park trains] and an operation control centre (OCC) building. MMRDA had said that it is likely to receive 12 trains every quarter from Bengaluru-based BEML Limited starting July.

A depot is an essential part of the Metro operations and the location to wash and clean the locomotive, repair and maintain them.

The authority is looking to operationalise the 18.6km-long Metro-2A and 16.5km-long Metro-7 lines from December. However, it recently terminated the contract of the two companies, RCC-MBZ consortium, which was working on lines 7 as well as 2B (DN Nagar-Mandale). The firm was also awarded the contract for the largest car depot at Mandale – which can house 72 trains – but it has completed only 6% of the work.

MMRDA is looking to construct 337km of Metro network in the city and the metropolitan region by 2026. As of now, eight corridors are under-construction.