Mumbai Metro 7A: Twin Tunnel Stretch Construction Begins

The tunnelling work of Mumbai Metro Line 7A is being commenced. The 3.4 km long Metro Line 7A is an extension of Red Line or Metro 7. It will be connecting Dahisar East to Gundavali. Once the work is completed the commuters can easily travel from Andheri East to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), as the Metro Line 7A will be connecting both the dots.

There is a twin tunnel section of the 3.42 km long alignment that will be underground for 2.49 km.

As per the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the new Metro Line’s alignment is partially elevated. It runs parallel to Western Express Highway (WEH) and Sahar Elevated Road. The Airport Colony Metro station, along the Airport Authority of India colony, is elevated.

Just ahead of the vehicular underpass of Sahar Elevated Road, the alignment goes underground. Then it joins the CSMIA Metro station underground that runs parallel to terminal T2 and the underground Metro Line 3.

While tunnel work has just started, the elevated viaduct and station's substructure work has already been completed. Two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) will be used to build a twin tunnel for the underground section. Both TBMs have been mounted at the site, and TBM T62's initial drive has begun, according to the MMRDA.

Officials stated, “The initial drive of TBM T60 will be starting, but there will be a lag of 30 days to the first TBM. It is expected that the underground station work should be completed by December 2024.”

A Metro Official said, “The tunneling depth varies from 6m to 20m from the ground level. It varies to accommodate the transition from the underground Metro Line to the Elevated Stretch and connecting the underground Metro Station at Mumbai airport to the Airport Colony Station, which is an elevation in Vile Parle.

Once it is operational, Metro Line 7A will connect the Western Suburbs (Metro Line 2A and Metro Line 7) and the Mira Bhayandar (Metro Line 9) area directly to the international airport. Additionally, it will offer connectivity between Metro Line 3 and the international airport, reducing the journey time to 30 to 60-minute to the airport. Furthermore, it would offer accessibility to the Navi Mumbai International Airport via the proposed Metro Line 8.

On one hand, the construction of line 7A will benefit the citizens; on the other hand, Bandra residents are unhappy with MMRDA’s decision over a Metro Station of Metro 2B Line. The Metro 2B Line will be connecting Andheri West to Mandale. Bandra residents are upset as MMRDA decided to delete the National College Metro Station.

Homeowners of Bandra had been pleading to the government to keep the station in its original place rather than move it entirely.

The residents of Bandra made their demands quite clear: to keep Sadhu Vaswani Garden and move the Metro Station to the area that was originally selected for the station, next to the Jeevan Kiran Bungalow. 

The MMRDA's decision has put MLA Ashish Shelar on the back foot, despite the fact that he has displayed banners and posters around Bandra proclaiming the success of his efforts to save Sadhu Vaswani Garden.