Mumbai is all set to get its first fully underground metro corridor – the Mumbai Metro Line-3. The Mumbai Underground Metro project, which is the first fully underground metro of the city and is being built at a cost of Rs 33,000 crore near completion. The first phase of Mumbai Metro-3 spans 33.5 km and has 26 stations with a depot.
With the project now inching closer to completion, the transport landscape of the financial capital is about to witness a revolutionary transformation. The stretch between BKC and Aarey, under Metro Line 3 Phase 1, is expected to be completed by December this year.
In a conversation with BQ Prime, the Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, Ashwini Bhide revealed that the organization is striving to finish the first phase of the Line-3 project by December of this year. “The commissioning of phase one is very much within our reach. We are fully gearing up for this last-mile push,” Bhide affirmed.
However, Bhide also noted that up to two or three months delay might be there keeping in mind unforeseen circumstances like late access to the depot and monsoon-related construction challenges.
Mumbai Metro-3, popularly known as Aqua Line, is a crucial link between Seepz in Andheri and Colaba, the southernmost area of the city. This line is expected to significantly enhance connectivity, especially in bustling locations of the city like – the airport, the Bandra-Kurla Complex, the Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation area. Once fully operational, it will carry 17 lakh passengers per day.
Underground pedestrian subway to link CSMT and Metro Line-3 stations
In a groundbreaking development, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) gets a nod from the Maharashtra transport department for the construction of a new pedestrian subway connecting the upcoming Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Metro station with the existing CSMT railway station.
The Central Railway passengers using CSMT will soon have convenient connectivity to the underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro-3 station.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the subway will be 365 metre long and will pass via the Times of India building and St Xavier’s College and end near the Himalayan foot overbridge.