Mumbai: Although the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) completed the detailed project report (DPR) for the expansion of the underground Metro 3 up to Navy Nagar in November 2023, the approval from state government and the MMRC board is still under process, said a senior official.
The expansion decision, encompassing a 5km stretch (2.5km in each direction), was initially announced during the 2022-23 budget speech by the then deputy CM and finance minister Ajit Pawar of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
This extension was prompted by a request from the Navy office to the state government. The proposal is anticipated to be beneficial for the residents of this densely-populated area, which includes residential quarters for central government employees and others.
Plans suggest that the extended metro line's construction will largely commence after the Metro 3 corridor is fully constructed and operationalised. Of the nearly 33-km-long stretch, connecting Colaba to SEEPZ via the BKC, 22km is open for commuters between Aarey and the BKC.
The remaining stretch up to Cuffe Parade and Colaba is currently undergoing trial run. An official said, “Some finishing works and integrated testing works are also underway.”
Once fully operationalised, Metro 3 will connect six business districts, 30 offices, 12 educational institutions, 11 major hospitals, 10 transportation hubs, 25 religious and recreational centers. It will also provide connectivity to both the airport terminals apart from serving areas like Kalbadevi, Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade and BKC, which currently lack direct rail-based transport.
As per the MMRC, in the long run, 85% of Metro 3's ridership is expected to come from roads, with around 4.5 lakh vehicle trips per day projected to decrease. This number is expected to rise to around 6.5 lakh vehicle trips per day as the system reaches full capacity.
