Mumbai Metro waits for last green signal.

With the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) clearing the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) corridor, this mega city is all set to get its first-ever Metro line. It's been seven years in the making.

The moment the Railway Ministry shows the green signal to the rolling stock and electrification, the last hurdle to Metro becoming operational will be crossed.

'The final safety inspection by the CMRS was completed on April 28. Once the final certificate is received from the Ministry, the line will be open for commercial use within seven day' said Sanjay Sethi, Additional Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Travel time on the 11.4-km stretch between Versova and Ghatkopar is likely to come down by more than an hour.

The air-conditioned, four-car Metro is expected to carry 60,000 commuters per hour in either direction. Once the eastern and western suburbs are connected, traffic snarls on this route will likely reduce, say MMRDA officials.

The contract for constructing the VAG corridor was awarded to the consortium of Reliance Energy Limited, a Reliance ADA Group Company; Veolia Transport, France; and the MMRDA.


THE HINDU