Mumbai Metro One, the city’s first elevated Metro corridor operated by R-Infra, is set to introduce shorter trips between Ghatkopar and Andheri railway station instead of going till Versova. This will happen during peak hours to ease congestion and accommodate an additional 20,000 passengers.
The shorter trips will run during the morning rush from 8.30 am to 10.30 am and the evening peak hours from 6 pm to 8 pm.
A senior Metro One official confirmed the development, stating that a trial run was conducted on March 6, with more trials planned to assess commuter feedback.
The initial response has been largely positive, as nearly 88% of Metro One’s daily passengers travel between Ghatkopar and Andheri, where many offices are concentrated. In contrast, only 12% of passengers travel beyond Andheri to Versova.
Mumbai Metro One spans 11 km, connecting Ghatkopar to Versova via Andheri, and records a weekday ridership of nearly five lakh commuters. By introducing shorter trips, the metro’s carrying capacity is expected to rise by an additional 5,000 passengers per hour during peak times.
Currently, Metro One transports nearly 60,000 passengers at peak times, which will increase by 8% with this change.
The Metro currently operates 430 daily trips with 16 rakes, maintaining a frequency of 3 minutes 40 seconds. With the additional shorter trips, the frequency is expected to improve to 3 minutes 15 seconds.
Loan transfer to NARCL
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Meanwhile, after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) dropped its plan to take over Metro One, its loan has been taken over by the National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) from the Indian banks. According to the official, Metro One was struggling with high-interest payments, and NARCL is now working on restructuring the loan for better financial stability. The loan transfer was completed in December last year
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