Photos| Mumbai Metro sees light: Inside the network’s underground tunnels

With numerous Metro lines all set to connect Mumbai and its suburbs, HT Photographer Kunal Patil gets a sneak peek into the work that’s been going into shaping the underground tunnels that form the backbone of the mega plans aimed at providing millions of Mumbai residents a smoother, modern commute that can take the load off BEST busses and the famous Mumbai local trains.

Updated on: Oct 04, 2018 12:53 PM IST

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Workers mid work in a tunnel inside an upcoming Mumbai Metro line at Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSIA) – T2 in Mumbai. The Metro is a rapid mass transport system designed to reduce the load on the city’s bus network and the suburban railway network, colloquially known as the ‘Mumbai locals’. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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Overground metro infrastructure work at Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSIA) – T2. The Mumbai Metro, with one line operational has been planned with a 15-year timeline for completion in three phases. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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Line one, a fully elevated corridor between Versova and Ghatkopar began operations in 2014. Four lines are currently under construction with additional lines at various stages of planning. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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Colaba to SEEPZ via Bandra within minutes? It doesn’t come easy. It has been almost a year since work on this tunnel at Nayanagar in Mahim started. The 51-km tunneling will need 2.8 lakh separate segments. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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The same holds true for the tunnels comprising the Airport Metro. Building a tunnel from Pali Ground in Marol to the T2 international airport took almost eight months. The result: A 1.26km tunnel and 1.5 lakh cubic meters of muck. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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Deep underground for extended periods, work life here is really a matter of balance. Be it handling the earth’s pressure several metres under or the one that comes from deadlines. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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Amid the grime, life down under has to offer some comfort. It comes in the form of an air-conditioned cubicle for workers to have lunch. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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The average daily ridership of the existing line is pegged at around 400,000 daily. Once these new lines are up, rapid transport services are expected to extend to millions of Mumbaikars more. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)