After recurring disruptions on Mumbai’s Metro One, MMRDA to set up panel to study issues and recommend fixes

In a statement on Tuesday, the MMRDA stated that it was cognisant of the frequent setbacks plaguing Metro Line 1, which is run by Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL). The MMRDA has a 26 per cent holding in the company, with the rest held by Reliance Infrastructure.

“Being a responsible stakeholder, MMRDA is also seriously considering this. A high-level committee headed by a former chief secretary will be formed on an immediate basis. MMRDA will also approach the operator to obtain immediate redressals and provide a smooth and comfortable travel experience,” the authority said.

The committee will look at the causes of recurring disruptions in services and gauge crowd-handling measures, especially at Ghatkopar, which is a major interchange between Metro Line 1 and the Central Railway’s suburban system. The panel will also assess the performance of emergency response systems in cases of disruption and identify long-term upgrades to enhance capacity and ease pressure during peak periods.

On Monday morning, a train going to Versova broke down at the Azad Nagar station because of a technical glitch and was taken to the depot for repair. One journey had to be cancelled and there was a passenger backlog at Ghatkopar, where around 500 people were allegedly waiting outside the station. Operations picked up after a 45-minute delay.

Following the incident, MMOPL said it deployed standby trains to compensate for cancelled services and was evaluating further measures to improve operational resilience. MMRDA officials said they would monitor the outcomes of the new committee’s recommendations closely and coordinate with MMOPL to implement necessary changes.