Mumbai Metro Line 3, City’s First Underground Service, Opens To Public

The highly anticipated Mumbai Metro Line 3, also known as the Aqua Line, officially opened to the public today, marking the city’s first-ever underground metro service.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) announced that the line, which connects the bustling Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Aarey Colony JVLR, began operations after being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Later, PM Modi took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his excitement, stating, “The metro network in Mumbai has expanded, and the ease of life of the citizens will get a boost! Congratulations to Mumbaikars on the inauguration of the Aarey JVLR to BKC route under the first phase of Mumbai Metro Line 3.”

Operating Hours and Fee Charged

This metro line will run from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends. Fares will range from ₹10 to ₹50.

Tickets can be purchased either through a mobile app or at physical counters. Additionally, by next month, the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) will be valid across all metro lines in the city.

Key Facts About Mumbai Metro Line 3

Also called Colaba-Bandra-Seepz line, Mumbai Metro Line 3 spans 33.5 kilometers underground. However, only a 12.44-kilometer stretch is currently open to the public, developed at a cost of over ₹32,000 crore.

This operational stretch consists of 10 stations: Aarey, Marol Naka, CSMIA T1 (Terminal 1), MIDC, SEEPZ, Sahar Road, CSMIA T2 (Terminal 2), Vidyanagari, Dharavi, and BKC.

Notably, nine of these stations are underground, with Aarey being the only ground-level station in this section.

The MMRC has scheduled 96 daily trips along the line, with each train capable of accommodating more than 2,000 passengers. Trains will travel at a maximum speed of 85 km/h, with an average operating speed of 35 km/h.

Meanwhile, the entire Metro Line 3 is expected to be fully operational by June 2025. Once complete, it is anticipated to reduce vehicular traffic in Mumbai by up to 6.5 lakh trips daily. Thus, significantly easing congestion in one of the country’s busiest cities.

Must Read: PM Modi Expected To Inaugurate Aarey, BKC Metro Line On October 4