Sudden change in CMRS area of jurisdiction for Metro 3 raises eyebrows
Following the change in jurisdiction, the inspection team from CMRS New Delhi is already in the city and have begun their inspection, said an official from MMRCL.
3 min read
According to MMRCL, Phase 1 will cover 12.44 km with 10 stations and offer 96 daily trips, running from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm. Fares will range from Rs 10 to Rs 50 for a one-way journey between Aarey and BKC.
With the certification process for Mumbai Metro Line 3, the city’s first underground metro, is underway, the responsibility to issue the safety certification for its commercial operation has been changed to the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), New Delhi, according to a government order obtained by The Indian Express. This responsibility was earlier with the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Western Circle.
Apart from Mumbai Metro Line 3, Navi Mumbai Metro, Jaipur and Ahmedabad metros were also under the jurisdiction of CRS, Western Circle. With the changes, now all safety works go to CMRS. The power of these duties were given to CRS Western Circle, Mumbai in 2010 and the safety certification was issued by it.
A copy of the government order issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation—which oversees CMRS—dated September 25, 2024, stated, “In supersession of this Ministry’s Order of even number dated 26.07.2019, the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) is changed as follows: CMRS New Delhi’s area of jurisdiction: All metro projects in the country except in the metropolitan city of Kolkata. The Metro Railway (O&M) Act, 2002, does not extend to the metropolitan city of Kolkata.”
Following the change in jurisdiction, an inspection team of officials from CMRS New Delhi was in the city and an inspection of Metro Line 3 was underway, said an MMRCL official. When asked why the change in jurisdiction, the official said that the central ministry was given the charge since the CRS held the additional role of CMRS Metro certification as well as railway certification.
The official said the change was likely a simple distribution of authority.
The change in jurisdiction came on the same day that the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MMRCL) applied for the Metro Line 3 certification, a source said. The application was withdrawn, the source added. Typically, a CMRS certification application is submitted a month prior to the planned inspection date, as per the Opening of Metro Railway for Public Carriage of Passengers Rules, 2013 under the Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.
With Metro Line 3 set to be inaugurated, potentially by the Prime Minister on October 5, its time for inspection has become limited.
Mumbai’s long-awaited underground Metro Line 3, also known as the Aqua Line, is nearing a significant milestone. After seven years of construction, Phase 1 of the project, spanning from Aarey to Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), is set to open to the public in October. This will reduce travel time between Aarey and BKC to just 30 minutes, with trains running every 6.5 minutes during peak hours. Currently, the same journey by road along the Western Express Highway can take over an hour due to traffic congestion.
According to MMRCL, Phase 1 will cover 12.44 km with 10 stations and offer 96 daily trips, running from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm. Fares will range from Rs 10 to Rs 50 for a one-way journey between Aarey and BKC.
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