The Mumbai Metro Line-3 (Aqua Line) will begin operations at 6.30 am on Sundays from August 31 instead of 8.30 am. The change aims to benefit weekend travelers as the line expands. The full 33-km stretch from Aarey to Cuffe Parade is anticipated to open by September, pending safety certifications
The BKC station on Mumbai Metro Aqua Line-3. File Pic
Mumbaikars travelling on weekends via Metro Line-3 will now benefit from an earlier start on Sundays. From August 31, the Metro Line-3 trains are set to commence operations at 6.30 am. Currently the Metro Line-3, also known as the Aqua Line, starts its operations on Sunday from 8.30 am.
While the services run from 6.30 am to 11 pm from Monday to Saturday, on Sundays, the first train in the underground corridor begins operations two hours later, at 8.30 am, to allow extra block time for balance testing and preparatory work for upcoming phases of the project.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which undertakes the operations of Metro Line-3, notified that the new timing will be effective from Sunday, August 31, ensuring that trains will now be available for travelling from 6.30 am onwards.
Mumbai Metro Line-3 full stretch operations on the cards soon
The total stretch from Aarey JVLR to Cuffe Parade is 33 km, with 27 stations — 26 underground and one at grade. On October 7, 2024, a 13-km stretch between Aarey JVLR and BKC opened, followed by another 9-km stretch from BKC to Acharya Atre Chowk, Worli.
Metro Line-3, popularly known as the Aqua Line, currently has an average passenger traffic of 70,000 per day, and there has been anticipation for the opening of the complete stretch, which was earlier expected in August but is now likely to happen in September, depending on trials and certifications.
In anticipation of the opening, the Metro app, which caters to the needs of computers, has updated its features and added all the stations of the unopened section up to Colaba. However, the stations on the tab do appear with a ‘closed’ tag in red.
The eleven stations include Science Museum, which comes immediately after Acharya Atre Chowk — the last opened station on the southbound stretch. After the Science Museum, the stations are Mahalakshmi Metro, Jagannath Shankarsheth Metro, Grant Road Metro, Girgaon, Kalbadevi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Hutatma Chowk, Churchgate Metro, Vidhan Bhavan Metro, and Cuffe Parade.
Sources have revealed that the line is now awaiting fire safety certifications. As soon as the fire safety certification process is completed, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety inspections will conduct safety checks. Once cleared, the line will be opened to the general public.
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