Mumbai, April 7 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the first phase of Mumbai Metro Line 9 from Dahisar East to Kashigaon on Tuesday, linking the city with neighboring Mira Bhayandar in Thane district.
The services will be open to the public on Wednesday.
Fadnavis flagged off the train from Dahisar East and traveled to Kashigaon, along with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, and Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde.
Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said that an easy and accessible transportation system is being developed in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, integrating the metro, e-buses, and water transport to make the city the most accessible in the country.
A metro network and a seamless transport system are being developed in the MMR, along with a bus network comprising mainly e-buses and alternative-fuel vehicles, while large-scale water transport projects are also underway in the third phase, he said.
The chief minister said that Mumbai now ranks second in the country after Delhi, with more than 100 km of operational metro lines, and added that most metro projects will be completed in the next two years and efforts are underway to build a larger network than the national capital in the next three to four years.
With the launch of the first phase of Metro Line 9, Mumbai now has five operational metro corridors. Metro Line 1 on the Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova route, Line 2A Andheri West-Dahisar East, Line 7 between Dahisar East and Andheri East, and Line 3, known as the Aqua Line, which connects Colaba in south Mumbai with Bandra Kurla Complex and SEEPZ.
The first phase of Metro Line 9 comprises a 5.6-km elevated stretch with four stations, including Dahisar East, Pandurangwadi, Miragaon, and Kashigaon.
The chief minister stated that nearly 96 per cent of the work on the second phase, between Sai Baba Nagar and Subhash Chandra Bose Maidan in Mira-Bhayandar, has been completed, and the 4.3-km stretch with four additional stations is to be inaugurated later this year.
"This metro will allow us to complete a journey, which currently takes one to two hours, in about 30 minutes," he said, adding that the project has been built at a cost of Rs 6,607 crore.
Fadnavis said that the line will provide seamless connectivity from Mira-Bhayandar to Colaba through interlinking with Metro Line 7, and in the future with Lines 7A and 3.
Features such as rainwater harvesting, LED lighting, regenerative braking, and solar panels make the metro line environmentally friendly, he said.
The chief minister noted that the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) has been successful, as 80 per cent of passengers have opted for cashless ticketing, while only 20 per cent paid in cash.
Responding to a query about a four-lane bridge narrowing to two lanes in Mira-Bhayandar, Fadnavis said that the structure has been built in a congested area and is partially completed.
"Photographs were taken when it was only half ready, and it was criticised, making officials feel it should be demolished," he said, adding that it will not appear accident-prone once completed.
According to a release, the integrated Metro Lines 7-9 corridor (Gundavali-Kashigaon), spanning 19.79 km, will operate between 5:50 am and 11 pm, with a peak frequency of under six minutes.
A total of 276 services will operate on weekdays, 223 on Saturdays, and 205 on Sundays, its stated.
With the launch of Metro Line 9, Lines 2A and 7 will operate as independent corridors. Earlier, services on these lines were run as a single stretch from Andheri East to Andheri West via Dahisar East.
Line 7 will be integrated with Line 9, enabling direct connectivity from Andheri East to Mira-Bhayandar via Kashigaon. An interchange facility at Dahisar station will allow seamless transfers without exiting the paid area.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has revised the timetable for Lines 2A and 7 to improve frequency and network integration, with the new schedule coming into effect from Wednesday.
According to the MMRDA, the newly opened stretch of Line 9 will provide seamless connectivity with the existing metro network, linking commuters to Line 7 and further to Line 7A, offering access to Andheri (East) and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
