Mumbai Metro Line-3, also known as the Aqua Line, would be the city’s first totally subterranean metro route, in a ground-breaking construction.
The project is now getting closer to completion, and the city’s transportation system is poised to undergo a radical change.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation’s managing director, Ashwini Bhide, recently announced in an exclusive interview with BQ Prime that the company aims to complete the first phase of the Line-3 project by the end of this year. Phase one’s commissioning is very much within our grasp. We are totally prepared for this last effort, Bhide said, according to BQ. She did, however, recognize that unanticipated obstacles, such as delayed access to the depot and building difficulties relating to the monsoon, might cause delays of up to two or three months.
The 33.5-kilometer-long Aqua Line will provide a vital connection between Seepz in Andheri and Colaba, the city’s southernmost neighborhood. The Aqua Line, which boasts a staggering 27 stations, is anticipated to greatly improve connectivity, especially to busy areas like the airport, the Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone, the Bandra-Kurla Complex, and the area served by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.
The cost of the Aqua Line project was anticipated to be over Rs 23,000 crore when it was first started in 2011. But expenditures have already totaled more than Rs 37,000 crore. It is challenging for the state and federal governments to cover all the costs due to the budget’s high level. The Japan International Cooperation Agency has provided a soft loan for over 57 percent of the total cost. According to Bhide, the government would provide the remaining funds. The utilization of land for commercial purposes would help the business (MMRCL) reach its income goal of around Rs 1,000 crore, she said.
With the famous French manufacturer Alstom, the MMRCL signed a significant deal for over 315 million euros in September 2018. Alstom will deliver 248 metro cars for Mumbai Metro Line-3 in accordance with the contract. In accordance with the contract, 31 completely equipped, contemporary passenger train sets with a minimum of eight cars each must be designed, delivered, and put into service.
