Mumbai Metro 3 Phase 1 trial run to begin next month

Prior to this, the MMRC carried out trial runs on a three-kilometre stretch between Sariput Nagar Aarey to Marol from August 2022.

As per the MMRC officials, track laying work on a small stretch is incomplete. Thereafter overhead electrical lines will be charged in both directions so that trial runs of the complete Phase 1 between Aarey to BKC stations can be carried out.

The Phase 1 operations that were scheduled to begin by December this year, will now be delayed till next year, with trial run yet to begin, a source said.

As a result, the Phase 2 line from BKC to Colaba that was set to begin after six months of Phase 1 operations will also be delayed, the source said.

As per the MMRC’s detailed project report, total ridership forecasted for 2025 is approximately 13 lakh passengers per day, which is expected to be one of the busiest in the world.

The trains that will run on the Metro 3 Line will have a capacity to ferry 3,000 passengers at a time and have been designed for peak hour peak direction traffic (PHPDT) of 72,000 passengers. The rolling stocks are energy efficient with a regenerative braking system. The trains are fully air-conditioned with communication-based train control (CBTC) signalling system for driverless train operations. All the stations on this line are equipped with platform screen doors for passenger safety.

The MMRC also plans to initially run the services with drivers on board and submitted for Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) approval. Once CMRS approval is obtained for commissioning with drivers, then preparation for driverless operations would start. For CMRS clearance to carry out driverless operations, at least six-month-long trials would be needed. They would be done parallelly post commissioning, as said by managing director Ashiwini Bhide to the Indian Express in an earlier report.