Made in India, for Mumbai: PM Modi to Launch Metro 2A, 7 Tomorrow | Of Driverless Rakes & Traffic Break​

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7 on Thursday. The newly launched sections are not just expected to ease the traffic in the financial capital of India, but also reduce travel time between different parts of the city.

Constructed at a cost of around Rs 12,600 crore, the foundation stone of these lines was also laid by the Prime Minister in 2015.

MADE IN INDIA COACHES

It was in 2018 when the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) – a public sector undertaking of the Union Government – bagged a contract for Rs 3,015 crore for Mumbai Metro Corridor, according to official documents.

The contact was for 378 metro cars – 63 metro trains of 6 cars each – for Mumbai Metro Corridor 2A, 2B and 7. Metro line 2A is connecting Dahisar to DN Nagar, while line 2B, which is yet to start, is from DN Nagar to Mankhurd via Bandra. Metro line 7 is from Dahisar to Andheri (east).

The BEML is supplying the Metro rakes under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. The indigenously-built Metro coaches are fully air conditioned and have driverless features. Commuters can also carry their bicycles in the coaches. These are energy friendly with a regenerative braking system and can carry 300 passengers in each coach and are equipped with CCTV surveillance for passenger security.

In September 2019, Modi inaugurated a state-of-the-art Metro coach – the first Metro coach under Make in India.

Metro Line 2A: Connecting Western, Central and the Northern suburban Mumbai

Metro Line 2A, from Dahisar to D N Nagar, is an 18.6 km long elevated corridor with 17 stations. It provides connectivity between the Western, Central Mumbai and the Northern suburban Mumbai and reduces the current travel time by anything between 50% and 75% depending on road conditions, according to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Phase 1 of this line – 9.8 km with 9 stations from Dahisar to Dahanukarwadi — was already started last year in April. The remaining 8.8 km with eight stations will now be operational. The new stretch is between Dahanukarwadi and D N Nagar.

This line will help ease traffic congestion on one of the busiest routes – New Link Road– of Mumbai from Dahisar (E) to DN Nagar. Further, it will facilitate smooth and efficient interchange with the suburban rail system and MRT system at Dahisar and D N Nagar.

It is interconnected with Metro Line 1 (Ghatkopar to Versova); Line 2B (D N Nagar to Mandale); 7 (Andheri (E) to Dahisar (E)); and the Metro Line 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli). This project is completed at a cost of Rs 6,410 crore.

Metro Line 7: Connecting Central and the Northern suburban Mumbai

Running between Andheri (E) and Dahisar (E), Metro Line 7 is a 16.5-km elevated corridor with 13 stations. The project is completed at a cost of Rs 6,208 crore.

The 10.7-km first phase, between Dahisar and Aarey with nine stations, started in April 2022. The remaining four stations in 5.8 km will start operations from Friday.

The line is interconnected with the existing Western Express Highway, Metro Line 1 (Ghatkopar to Versova), the ongoing Metro Line 2A (Dahisar to D N Nagar) and the Metro Line 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli).

It facilitates smooth and efficient interchange with the suburban rail system and MRT system at Andheri, JVLR and Dahisar and provides connectivity between the Central Mumbai and the Northern suburban Mumbai.

According to Metropolitan Commissioner SVR Srinivas, the Metro Line 2A and 7 will be serving lakhs of passengers.

“Andheri station itself will serve approximately 30,000 passengers. They will be using in peak direction daily as this station is connected with Line 1. It will also become a conjunction point for passenger travelling from Andheri (W) to either north or east direction. The travel time for passengers boarding from Dahisar to Goregaon section to Ghatkopar will be reduced significantly,” he said in a statement.

On January 12, these lines got the safety certificate after the testing of rolling stock, signalling system, civil works, track and speed trials were completed.

Mumbai has been largely dependent on local trains and buses for public transportation. Entry of the metro in the picture is very recent. Even though former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the Metro One project in June 2006, the city had to wait for eight years before the metro started rolling in the city in 2014. It took another eight years for the two new lines – 2A and 7.

According to the Railway Ministry, 3,075 trains run daily on Mumbai suburban and during 2021-22 a total of 1,260.40 million passengers travelled in these trains.

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