Mumbai: New Metro lines made losses of Rs 281.77 cr

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has been grappling with financial challenges in recent years. In the fiscal year 2022-2023, the D N Nagar to Dahisar Metro line 2A and Andheri East to Dahisar Metro line 7 are also facing operational setbacks, collectively amounting to a loss of Rs 281.77 crore. Meanwhile, the monorail incurred a loss of Rs 255.05 crore, and due to substantial planned expenditures in the year 2023-2024, the estimated monorail loss is projected to escalate to Rs 529 crore.

Metro line 2A and 7 losses

"In the financial year ending on March 31, 2023, metro line 2A and metro line 7 contributed to MMRDA's revenue with a total of Rs 41 crore. Specifically, metro line 2A contributed Rs 19.19 crore, while metro line 7 contributed Rs 15.02 crore. The combined operational loss for these lines stood at Rs 281.77 crore," an anonymous MMRDA official informed mid-day.

Metro 7 running parallel to the Western Express Highway near Jogeshwari Station. Pic/Rane Ashish

The Mumbai Metro's daily ridership on lines 2A and 7 has witnessed a notable increase since opening to the public. Notably, on July 24, 2023, the ridership reached 212,490, followed by 218,635 on July 25, 2023. The peak ridership was recorded on July 26, 2023, with a count of 222,290 passengers. Despite challenging weather conditions, the Mumbai Metro has admirably maintained 100% punctuality by operating its 253 daily services without any disruptions.

Monorail losses

An MMRDA official requesting anonymity stated, "In the last fiscal year, the monorail experienced an operating loss of 255.05 crore while generating earnings of R13.64 crore. According to the MMRDA budget document, the anticipated loss for the year 2023-2024, due to high planned expenditures, is estimated to be R529 crore." It's noteworthy that the term "estimated loss" is used because MMRDA is considering the procurement of monorail rakes. To mitigate these losses, MMRDA is exploring various options, including optimising service operations to meet specific requirements. During the fiscal year 2022-2023, the monorail was used by a total of 36.36 lakh commuters.

Mumbai Metro lines inaugurated in phases

>> On April 2, 2022, the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray partially inaugurated phase one of the 20km-long Metro 2A and 7 corridors (Dahanukarwadi-Aarey-Dahisar).

>> The second phase of the two Mumbai Metro lines - 2A (Dahisar East-DN Nagar, Andheri West) and Line 7 (Andheri East-Dahisar East) - was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 19, 2023.

Rs 528 crore
Estimated loss for MMRDA for fiscal year 2023-24