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Journalism of Courage
In a major leap for urban mobility in Mumbai, the city’s first fully underground metro line, Metro Line 3 or the Aqua Line, is finally set to become fully operational on September 30.
Metro Line 3 is Mumbai’s first completely underground metro corridor, connecting the western suburbs, central Mumbai, and the southern tip, all without touching surface-level roads.
Stretching 33.5 km from Aarey in the north to Cuffe Parade in the south, this new corridor comprises 27 stations. Once fully operational, it’s expected to carry up to 13 lakh passengers daily, making it a crucial lifeline for Mumbai’s north-south movement.
Here is what to know.
Final phase culminates a 15-year-long ambition
The final phase of Metro Line 3, connecting Acharya Atre Chowk (Worli) to Cuffe Parade, will be inaugurated for public use on September 30, 2025, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This stretch includes 11 major stations: Science Museum, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai Central, Grant Road, Girgaon, Kalbadevi, CSMT, Hutatma Chowk, Churchgate, Vidhan Bhavan, and Cuffe Parade.
This phase, costing Rs 9,785 crore, will complete the entire Metro 3 corridor, a project first conceived in 2011, but began construction only in January 2017. Over this period, costs have risen from an initial estimate of Rs 23,136 crore to Rs 37,276 crore. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided 60% of the funding, while the remainder was jointly borne by the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra (in a 50:50 joint venture).
The first phase from Aarey to BKC was opened in October 2024, while Phase 2 was opened in March 2025.
With 27 stations, Metro Line 3 serves some of Mumbai’s most critical residential, commercial, and business districts. It includes commercial and business hubs such as Cuffe Parade, Nariman Point, Fort, and BKC; transport hubs like Mumbai Central, CSMT, and Churchgate; and provides airport connectivity to the domestic and international terminals of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The fully realised metro line promises to significantly reduce the commute time, cutting a full journey from Cuffe Parade to Aarey (JVLR) from 90-100 minutes by road in peak hours to just 54 minutes.
The fare structure is also designed to be affordable, ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 70, making it far cheaper than cabs, which cost over Rs 700 for the same distance. The new system provides a reliable, air-conditioned, and high-frequency option that bypasses surface-level traffic.
To boost economic development around the metro line, the MMRC has announced a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) strategy to tap into non-fare revenue. It has already sold a 4.16-acre plot at Nariman Point, very close to the metro line, to the Reserve Bank of India for Rs 3,472 crore. The plot has since been used for the Metro 3 project.
Why Metro Line 3’s launch was delayed
In South Mumbai, engineers had to navigate heritage structures, narrow lanes, and fragile soil conditions. In areas like Kalbadevi, Girgaon, and Fort, they made use of methods such as keyhole tunnelling and controlled microblasting to avoid damage to 100-year-old buildings.
Despite these challenges, no permanent displacement of residents occurred. Instead, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) implemented in-situ rehabilitation for around 730 families.
The use of Aarey Colony as the car shed site for Metro Line 3, however, sparked significant public and environmental controversy. Aarey, considered one of Mumbai’s last remaining green lungs, is home to rich biodiversity, tribal communities, and is adjacent to the ecologically sensitive Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Critics argued that the construction would lead to deforestation, habitat destruction, and long-term ecological damage.
Despite massive protests, court battles, and political back-and-forth over relocating the shed, the site was eventually retained at Aarey due to cost, timeline, and technical feasibility constraints — a decision that continues to divide public opinion.
When the first phase from Aarey to BKC opened in October 2024, daily ridership was a modest 20,000, far short of the projected 4 lakh. Even after extending this stretch to Worli, this number rose to 37,000, far short of expectations. Officials identified incomplete connectivity and a lack of interchanges with suburban rail or other metro lines as the reasons for the low uptake.
With the launch of the entire corridor, including key commercial areas, MMRC expects a dramatic spike in usage. Projections include 13 lakh daily riders once demand stabilises and 31.5 lakh daily by 2055 with system upgrades.
