The Metro 3 corridor in Mumbai is reportedly set to enter its operational phase soon.
The tunnelling work on the route connecting Cuffe Parade, BKC and Seepz started nearly six years ago. According to a report by the Times of India, the Metro authority of the city is now preparing to run a train on a short stretch of the corridor, meaning the project is nearing completion.
The train will initially run until Siddhivinayak or Dadar station to evaluate the condition of the tracks.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) believes this initial run is mandatory to plan trial runs on this route. As of now, major works like overhead electrification (OHE) and track-laying have been done up to Dadar station. Before the official trial runs begin, these key infrastructure tasks are slated to be completed up to Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli.
Speaking about the initial run, a senior official of the MMRCL told TOI, “While not a trial run in itself, this step is crucial for the project’s progress. Overhead electrification (OHE) and track-laying work have been completed till Dadar. The preliminary run will provide valuable insights for the upcoming trial runs, which are to be conducted till Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli.”
The Mumbai metro authority has planned to open the Cuffe Parade-BKC-Seepz corridor in three stages. The first phase linking Seepz with BKC will begin operation before the route will be extended to Worli which is Phase II. In the final phase, the stretch will end at Cuffe Parade. Despite ongoing work in other places, the MMRCL will open the stations as soon as they come to their final shape.
After missing several deadlines, phase I of the Metro 3 corridor is expected to begin operation by June or July. This stretch will have a total of eight stations from Seepz to BKC while phase two connecting Dharavi to Worli will get six stations. The third phase from Worli to Cuffe Parade will consist of eleven stations.
The MMRCL has already started loaded trial runs with gunny bags filled with debris between BKC and Aarey to gather information about passenger loads. Before commercial operations begin, the authority will need to acquire safety certifications and approvals from designated authorities– the Independent Safety Assessor and the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety.
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