No Kurla terminus on Mumbai Metro-2B line: MMRDA

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) announced on Wednesday that it has scrapped plans for the Kurla terminus station on the Metro-2B line,

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) announced on Wednesday that it has scrapped plans for the Kurla terminus station on the Metro-2B line, which will run from DN Nagar in Andheri to Mandale.

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In a statement released on Wednesday, the nodal authority for Metro projects in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) said the planned station was in the way of the restricted airport funnel zone. Also, the distance between the proposed terminus and SG Barve Marg station on the same line is only about 474 meters. Finally, MMRDA said that the location for the station would mean it would be “sandwiched” between the current Santacruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR) rail overbridge and another permanent structure.

In an email to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and MMRDA’s metropolitan commissioner, right-to-information activist Anil Galgali questioned MMRDA’s decision to scrapping the Kurla terminus on Wednesday. Galgali contended that the station could be an important node for commuters. “Why did MMRDA not call for suggestions/objections from citizens if they are making changes to the plan? The station is very much in the detailed project report of Metro-2B, then why did they delete it?” Galgali wrote in his mail to Thackeray.

Metro-2B is a 23.64-km long elevated corridor which was supposed to have 22 stations, but with the scrapping of two stations it will have 20 stations. The corridor is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs by 40 to 55 minutes and result in a 30 to 35℅ consequent reduction in vehicular traffic. The cost of the project is ₹10,986 crore and it is expected to be operational around 2022.