Mumbai received its first underground metro on Saturday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the first phase of the Aqua Line Metro, a 12.44-kilometer line that would connect Aarey to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The full 33.5-kilometer stretch connecting Cuffe Parade, BKC, and Aarey Colony will be operational by March 2025.
The PM also rode from BKC to Santacruz and back, accompanied by Metro construction workers and beneficiaries of the ‘Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’.
Mumbai residents will be able to use the new line starting Monday at 11 a.m. Regular services will resume the next day, running from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Work on the project began in January 2017, with work taking place in some of Mumbai’s busiest areas.
Before his inauguration, Modi paid bhoomipujan to the Thane Ring Metro project and the new Thane Municipal Corporation headquarters.
He cited ongoing infrastructure projects in Mumbai, claiming that the current government, backed by the BJP, has made substantial headway in improving the city’s transportation system.
“In Mumbai, approximately 300 km of Metro projects are underway, alongside major infrastructure initiatives such as the Thane-Borivali twin tunnel, Versova -Bandra Coastal Road, Eastern Freeway extension among others,” he said.
As Maharashtra prepares for the Assembly elections, the new Metro Line 3 is viewed as a essential addition to the city’s transportation infrastructure.
Source:IE