Mumbai Metro, which has become the second lifeline of the city, will now run for extended hours till late at night. For this, the last train from Metro routes 2A and 7 will depart at 11 pm instead of the existing 10.30 pm. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, as the president of MMRDA, has announced this as a Diwali gift for Mumbaikars.
According to this decision, the extended Metro timings will come into force from Saturday, November 11. This will enable passengers to travel safely till 11 pm in an eco-friendly and comfortable Metro. While announcing the move, CM Shinde said, “Diwali is a festival of excitement. We are happy to double this excitement by extending the timings of the Mumbai Metro service. Mumbai Metro is a sustainable and safe public transport system. We have taken an important decision to extend the timings of Mumbai Metro in the interest and for the convenience of Mumbaikars.”
There was a demand to extend the timings of the Metro service for the Diwali season, he said. “However, it has been decided now to extend this service not only for the festival period but permanently. Mumbai Metro is a sustainable and safe public transport system. It is shaping up to be a strong public transport system in the Mumbai metropolitan region. Every day lakhs of citizens have started to travel comfortably by the Metro,” said Shinde.
Guardian minister of Mumbai suburban district Mangal Prabhat Lodha had originally recommended the extended service timings for the Metro for the occasion of Diwali. The chief minister has taken an important decision to extend this time not only for festivals but regularly. The last train from Andheri West of Mumbai Metro route 2A and Gundavali station of Metro route 7 will now depart at 11 pm instead of 10.30. At present around 253 services are running between Gundavali and Andheri West on Metro routes 2A and 7 from Monday to Friday, between 5.55 am and 10.30 pm, at intervals of 7.5 to 10.5 minutes. Now due to extended timings of the Metro, there will be 257 trips between these stations from 5.55 am to 11 pm. Also, two additional Metro trips from Dahisar West to Gundavali, and two additional Metro trips between Dahanukarwadi and Andheri West have been made available after 10 pm.
“Around 6 crore citizens have travelled on Metro routes 2A and 7 so far. About 1.6 lakh Mumbaikars have purchased One Card. We are implementing various measures to ensure safe and comfortable travel for the citizens of Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The decision to increase the working hours of the Metro today will also be a relief for Mumbaikars,” MMRDA metropolitan commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee said.
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