Mumbai Metro Update: Mumbai Metro Trains on the new lines between Aarey and Dhanukarwadi will be inaugurated on April 2 by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The metro trains will run with a frequency of 10 to 11 minutes and they will have the capacity to carry more than 3 lakh passengers every day. According to an IE report, there will be nine rakes operating more than 150 metro train trips every day on the lines between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. The timetable for the Mumbai Metro lines which will run from April 2 after the inauguration has been finalised by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is developing a 35 km long stretch of two elevated Mumbai Metro corridors – Mumbai Metro Line 2A between Dahisar and D N Nagar and Mumbai Metro Line 7 between Dahisar East and Andheri East. These two new Mumbai Metro lines will run parallel on east and west side of suburb and they are expected to decongest Western Express Highway, which is the major arterial road of Mumbai, the report stated.
Once the 35 km long stretch is operational, passengers can travel between Dahisar and Ghatkopar without exiting the station as the two metro lines will be interconnected. However, the MMRDA had planned to begin commercial service of both the metro lines in two phases. As part of the project’s Phase 1, 2A and 7 corridors will cover a distance of 20 kms. On Line 2A, Mumbai Metro trains will run between Dhanukarwadi and Upper Dahisar, and the trains will run on Line 7 between Dahisar East and Aarey from April 2.
An official was quoted in the report saying that they have conducted a dry run on the two Mumbai Metro lines during which the empty train was run on a trial basis as per the proposed timetable to ascertain the issues as well as rectify them before starting the operation of the lines. The trains’ frequency are expected to be 10 to 11 minutes and nearly 150 trips daily on the stretch, the official added. Last Friday, a clearance was given to the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety after an inspection of the lines.