Mumbai: Aarey-BKC Metro to have 260 round trips every day

While tests for two are ongoing, another seven rakes for Aqua Line 3 are to be tested soon

Mumbai's first underground Metro, Aqua Line 3, whose phase one from Aarey to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is set to open within the next four months, has finalised its train operations plan with seven eight-car trains running at intervals of 6 minutes 40 seconds. According to a presentation made by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) Managing Director Ashwini Bhide, the Aarey to BKC stretch has 10 stations and nine trains.

Of these, two will be reserved at any point in time, one for regular maintenance and one for standby and the remaining seven will be in active service. The detailed plan includes running 260 round trip services (130 for Aarey to BKC and 130 for BKC to Aarey) with operational time of 6 am to 11 pm (based on passenger response).

"While phase one will open in the next three to four months, phase two will open by September 2024. The delay occurred due to the Aarey car shed controversy," Bhide said. As of November 30, 2023, the overall project progress is 87.2 per cent, with phase one work complete to about 93.4 per cent and phase two work complete to about 80.7 per cent.

The MMRCL has placed orders for 31 rakes with Alstom for the entire 33.5-km corridor and each train will be put on trial as it arrives. According to the latest update, 11 trains have arrived from Alstom. Of the 11, only nine will be used for phase one and lined up for testing. Of the nine, two that are being tested have been parked in a tunnel and the testing of the remaining seven is pending. The 33.5 km long Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 Corridor comprising 26 underground stations is a key project to improve public transport in the city.

The Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3 integrates with the suburban railway, other Mumbai Metro lines and existing transport modes at around eight points. These include big rail termini of Mumbai CSMT and Churchgate, Grant Road railway station, Mumbai Central railway station, also close to the MSRTC bus depot and about a 10-minute walk from Dadar station, Mahalaxmi railway station, where the line is close to the Monorail station, and BKC where it integrates with the Mumbai Metro Line 2-B and with Mumbai Metro Line 1.