Mumbai: Metro to run trains every five minutes instead of eight minutes

No more long waits, once trains run at 5-min intervals. file pic

Your wait for the Metro is about to get shorter very soon, with the authorities having decided to run trains every five minutes instead of the current eight-minute gap. Not only will this cut your waiting time by three minutes flat, but it will also help introduce 44 additional trips per day.

On Monday, office-goers will not only have a shorter wait for the Metro trains but will hopefully also find more space in the coaches, thanks to the increase in the number of services. Now, Mumbai Metro trips will go up from 396 to 440 during off-peak hours between 11.30 am and 430 pm. Trial runs with the increased frequency began on September 19. However, full-fledged services will begin with effect from September 24. The 44 additional trips will have a capacity for nearly 66,000 commuters.

This move could greatly reduce crowds at Metro stations

Crowding issues
By reducing the intervals between trains and adding new trips, the authorities hope to address crowding issues that have plagued Metro Line 1. mid-day had reported on these issues on June 30 (Metro Line 1 faces a very 'local' problem), highlighting the frustrations of swarms of commuters either stuck at the long queues for the scanner machines or waiting long periods for the next train with some space.

Increasing space
With more and more passengers cramming into the limited space during peak hours, transport experts unanimously agreed that it was time for the operators to convert the small four-car train into a six-coach one. This suggestion received a push from MP Kirit Somaiya, who wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (also chairman of MMRDA) about it. MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner R A Rajeev then recommended the changes. Yesterday, Somaiya told mid-day he was thankful to the authorities for boosting the capacity of Metro trains.

Additional services
An MMOPL spokesperson said, "We are extremely delighted to increase our train services from 396 to 440 trips. We are confident that our commuters will be better able to plan their journeys now and they will greatly benefit from the additional services. We will continue to ensure comfort and safety to our commuters."

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