13 October,2023 01:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
A Metro train on Blue Line 1 in 2020. File Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Friday announced that they will be extending metro services on Line 2A and 7 from October 19 to October 23 on the occasion of Navratri. The decision to extend metro services during Navratri comes as a gift to the city's residents, offering a unique opportunity to participate in the celebrations without concerns about traffic woes or the expenses of late-night travel, stated the media statement issued by MMRDA.
The statement read, "The glorious festival of Navratri is arriving soon. Therefore, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Chairman of MMRDA Mr Eknath Shinde has made the decision to extend the services on Metro Lines 2A and 7 to enhance the comfort and safety of commuters during the festivities of Navratri. Under his guidance and support, Maha Mumbai Metro brings the gift of extended services from 19th October 2023 to 23rd October 2023. So, Mumbaikars are sure to enjoy this unique opportunity to take part in long hours of celebration without having to worry about the troubles of traffic and the expenses of late-night travels."
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his commitment to the well-being of the city's residents, saying, "Mumbai Metro continues to deliver comfort and safety to our citizens. The festival of Navratri will demand many people to travel late at night, and we made this important decision to ensure their safety and comfort during their travels. It will bring a lot of benefits to the commuters, and this extension will be witnessed as a valuable decision by Mumbaikars as they can now enjoy the festival with much more enthusiasm. The eco-friendly Metro is now the choice of about 5 crore citizens, and the consistent growth in the numbers shows their preference for the amazing services of the metro."
According to the press statement, the last metro trains will run till 12.20 am offering commuters a substantial extension beyond the regular 10.30 pm schedule. The extension will include additional 14 trips with a headway of 15 minutes. According to MMRDA's statement, on weekdays total number of trips will increase to 267 while the numbers on Saturday and Sunday will be 252 and 219 trips respectively. The final arrival time of metro trains at terminals Andheri West on Line 2A and Gundavali on Line 7 will be at 01:33 am.
Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, IAS, Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA, noted the importance of the decision, saying, "The leadership of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Chairman of MMRDA provides us with the necessary guidance and support to ensure comfortable and safe travels to the residents of Mumbai. An average growth of about 5 per cent is witnessed every month in the ridership of Metro, which exemplifies the growing preference of Mumbaikars towards the services of Maha Mumbai Metro. Therefore, we are thrilled to have yet another opportunity to improve the safety and convenience of Mumbaikars by introducing additional services during the festival of Navratri. Let your celebrations be elevated by our reliable and uninterrupted services."
