11 September,2020 07:06 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B Aklekar
Construction work at Akurli Metro station on Metro Line 7 at Western Express Highway, Kandivali. Pic/ Satej Shinde
Metro trains on two of the 10 lines will start commercial operations from May 2021 as the construction authority, Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), announced on Thursday that they have pressed a large amount of labour and energy into the project to tide over delays due to the pandemic.
Mumbai is getting a 337-km Metro rail network with 10 lines over the next few years. "Line 2A and Line 7, between Andheri and Dahisar in west and east respectively, will change the face of western suburbs and ease the traffic crisis. The lines will be linked to the existing Mumbai Metro Line 1 and other upcoming Metro lines," MMRDA commissioner RA Rajeev said.
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"The trains will start arriving from December 2020 and taking into account the trials, etc, the line should be open to public by May 2021. Mumbai Metro Line 2, 7-A and 9 together will totally get 504 rail cars, with six-car trains at 20-25 minute intervals to start with and subsequent addition in services every month. The trains will have six coaches and the starting fare will be R10," he said.
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He said though the trains on the line have been procured as driver-less, MMRDA would post drivers for public confidence and safety and added that MMRDA was hopeful of meeting the deadline.
Critics, however, said it would be impossible to start the line by that time as a lot of civil work is still pending and also that the commissioning of railway safety trials usually takes time leading to subsequent delays.
While Metro Line 2A is 18.589-km-long elevated corridor with 17 stations, Metro Line 7 is a 16.475-km-long elevated corridor with 13 stations.
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