The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has announced that two stations on the city's upcoming Metro Line 3 i.e. Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Line, will not be operational for the first few months after the entire corridor is commissioned in July 2024. The Kalbadevi and Girgaum stations are included in Package 2 of the project (CSMT to Grant Road), which primarily covers the island city and runs from BKC to Cuffe Parade.
Despite this setback, MMRC's managing director Ashwini Bhide has assured the public that the commissioning of the entire line will not be stopped. However, the area where the two underground stations are being constructed is difficult due to narrow roads, decaying buildings, historic buildings, and winding roads. The construction has impacted 420 residential units and 290 business blocks in Girgaum-Kalbadevi, in addition to 20 land parcels and 30 buildings spread across six non-contiguous blocks.
The construction of the two stations is expected to be finished by August or September, using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). Although the delay is inconvenient for those who would use the two stations, Metro 3 will still have connections with the suburban train system at Churchgate, CSMT, Mumbai Central, and Mahalaxmi stations. In addition, the Charni Road, Grant Road, and Dadar stations are also within close proximity to the corridor.
The Metro 3 line is set to significantly reduce road congestion as it is anticipated to receive roughly 85% of its ridership from vehicular traffic. Furthermore, Metro 3 primarily travels through regions that are not currently served by the local train network but have developed into important growth hubs in recent decades. The line will also pass by significant religious sites, including the Mahim Church, the Mahim Dargah, and the Siddhivinayak Temple.
MMRC's managing director, Ashwini Bhide, emphasised that this is a very high-capacity line, capable of handling approximately 17 lakh passengers per day. All societal segments will have quicker, better, more dependable, and safer connectivity.
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