PM Modi inaugurates Mumbai Metro 3, to open for public tomorrow

PM Narendra Modi with CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar during the inauguration of various projects in Thane on Saturday. PIC/PTI

Planning a joyride on the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Mumbai Metro Line 3 today? You'll have to wait just a bit longer, as Mumbai's first fully underground Metro line - flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday - will open for public on Monday at 11 am, with regular operations starting from 6.30 am on Tuesday. It will not open today.

The PM inaugurated the first phase of the project - a 12.69-km stretch between Aarey JVLR and BKC. All 10 stations on this stretch will be open, including the two airport stations, T1 and T2. The PM boarded the Metro at the BKC station and interacted with select groups of students, Metro workers and beneficiaries of the Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin scheme for women.

During the visit, Modi also launched Metro service mobile app called MetroConnect3 which is designed to enhance the travel experience with latest features. "It's a momentous day for Mumbaikars tomorrow. With this milestone, we've reached a new era of seamless travel. Metro 3 will transform our city's landscape, making daily commutes easier and more efficient," said Ashwini Bhide, managing director, MMRC.

Students, Ladki Bahin beneficiaries and Metro workers were excited to ride the Metro with PM Modi and interact with him. Pics/Atul Kamble

Also known as the Aqua line, Metro 3 will operate 96 daily services, with seven operational trains and two trains kept as back-up - one in maintenance and one in stand-by. The minimum fare will be Rs 10 and maximum Rs 50. The total project cost, revised to Rs 37,276 crore as approved by the Union government in February, includes a loan of Rs 21,280 crore from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

‘So happy to meet him'

Taruna Kumbar
Ladki Bahin beneficiary
‘We were so happy when he interacted with us. He wanted to know how was the Ladki Bahin scheme going and how it has benefited us. We have a mahila mandal and we are all women in the business. He was very happy to know that the scheme is actually helping us on the ground'

Vaishali Ambhure
Ladki Bahin beneficiary
‘We have been running our business very successfully, thanks to the Ladki Bahin scheme which has helped us to tide over our financial problems. We also told PM Modi how the PM SVANidhi [micro-credit facility for street vendors] scheme has been helping us too'

Aradhya Pal, student
‘He asked us if we have travelled on the Metro at night. He also asked us what our hobbies and achievements were. It was a very friendly conservation and we all enjoyed it'

Alqama Ahmed, student
‘He was very friendly. I was quite overwhelmed on meeting him'

Ajay Pal, Metro worker
‘He congratulated us on completing the Metro work and told us to take our families for a ride on it'

Shahid Alam, Metro worker
‘I was happy to work at the BKC station, which is the largest. I could not believe that my first ride on the train was with the Prime Minister'