Mumbai’s Metro 3, also called the Aqua Line, will soon open a new section between Aarey JVLR and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The final safety clearance was granted on Thursday, October 3, by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS).
Janak Kumar Garg, the chief commissioner of metro rail safety (CMRS), Lucknow and commissioner of rail safety (CRS), Delhi, conducted the inspection. Garg is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers official from 1987. He served as Nagpur Metro's executive director.
Interestingly, during the certification process, the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), New Delhi, took over the responsibility for issuing the safety certification for Mumbai Metro Line 3's commercial operation. The change transferred all safety tasks to CMRS.
Previously, the Western Circle Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) was in charge of this duty. These responsibilities were given to CRS Western Circle in 2010. CRS, Western Circle also oversaw the metros in Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Navi Mumbai Metro. As per reports, the change came on the same day that the MMRCL applied for the certification. The metro will be launched on Saturday, October 5, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister will travel the first section of the route. This stretch is 12.44 km long and covers 10 stations. Nine trains will run along this section.
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The trains will operate 96 trips daily. Initially, trains will run every 7 minutes and 30 seconds. The frequency will later come down to 6 minutes and 40 seconds. On weekdays, services will operate from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm. On weekends, the first train will leave at 8:30 am. The closure time will remain the same every day.
Ticket prices will range between INR 10 and INR 50. Commuters will have the option to buy tickets via an app or at ticket counters. By the end of October, the National Common Mobility Card will be available. This card can be used across all metro lines in Mumbai.
There will be 48 train captains leading the trains. Of this, 10 will be female captains. The complete Metro 3 line is expected to be ready by June 2025. However, by February 2025, services may extend to Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli. The total cost of the project is INR 37,275.82 crore.
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