Mumbai Metro Line 3 opens today: Complete guide to train schedule

Phase 1 of the long-awaited Mumbai Metro Line 3 is open for the public from today, October 7, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the route last week. The 12.5 km Phase 1 route will run between Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Aarey JVLR. The ₹14,120 crore section of Mumbai Metro Line 3 connects Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of the Mumbai airport. It also links to the Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova Metro Line 1 at Marol Naka station.

Also known as the ‘Aqua Line’, for Mumbaikars, Phase 1 promises to ease connectivity between the metro's town and suburban areas.

• The first train will begin operations at 6:30 a.m. and the last at 10.30 p.m. On Sundays, the first service will commence at 8:30 a.m. Train frequency is estimated to be about 3-4 minutes.
• The minimum fare on the line will be ₹10, while the maximum will be ₹50. Further, for the fully completed Colaba-SEEPZ-Aarey corridor, the maximum ticket fare will be ₹70.
• The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) will run 96 daily services between Aarey and BKC. Each rake of eight coaches will ferry approximately 2,500 passengers.
• This is Phase 1 of the larger 33.5 km Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Colaba-SEEPZ), which, once fully operational, line 3 is expected to cater to about 12 lakh passengers daily.
• Phase 1 has 10 stations, of which 9 are underground. These are the stations on Phase 1: BKC, Bandra Colony, Santacruz, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) T1, Sahar Road, CSMIA T2, Marol Naka, Andheri, SEEPZ and Aarey Colony JVLR, which is the only station above ground.

• PM Modi took to the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to share “memorable moments from the Mumbai Metro”. He termed these as “highlights from yesterday’s metro journey”. Modi himself travelled from BKC to Santacruz station in the metro on October 5 and interacted with students, women beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme, workers and other commuters.

• The first phase of this line is expected to reduce vehicular traffic by as much as 6.5 lakh trips, with road traffic along the route projected to drop by 35 per cent. The line is also estimated to save around 3.54 lakh litres of fuel annually. 
• The Mumbai Metro Line 3 is set to operate at a maximum speed of 85 kmph, with an average running speed of 35 kmph. 
• Ashwini Bhide, managing director for Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), said the trains will have 48 captains, including 10 women, for operation, adding that the line will have many women involved in operating and maintaining it.