In a Navratri gift of sorts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will show the green flag to the inaugural train service on the city's first fully underground Mumbai Metro-3's first phase between Bandra Kurla Complex-Aarey JVLR section on Saturday, officials said on Friday.
The PM will also hop on for a ride on the maiden train run between BKC-Santacruz stations on the upcoming Aqua Line 3 that will link Colaba-SEEPZ, when fully operational in the next year or so.
Constructed at a cost of Rs 14,120 crore, the first phase is 12.44 kms long, on which 48 services in each direction or a total of 96 runs daily are expected to be operated from Sunday.
The section has 10 stations including nine which are subterranean – Aarey JVLR, SEEPZ, MIDC Andheri, Marol Naka, CSMIA-T2, Sahar Road, CSMIA-T1, Santacruz, Bandra Colony and the sole elevated station, BKC.
From Monday, train services shall be operated on this section from 6.30 am-10.30 pm at intervals of around six minutes during the peak hours, and 15-20 minutes gap during off-peak timing, and on Sunday the services shall be operated between 8.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m.
When the much-anticipated, fully underground line of 35.50 kms is completed, it will have 27 stations en route from Cuffe Parade to Aarey Depot, and is expected to be a key transportation project to boost commuting between the city and suburbs.
The project cost of around Rs 37,000 crore is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the construction was started in 2013 and after a series of hiccups and delays, the first phase is now ready to provide improved connectivity to the people along with other existing modes of transport like the suburban trains and buses.
The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the Elevated Eastern Freeway Extension project from Chheda Nagar in Chembur to Anand Nagar in Thane, costing Rs 3,310 crore.
This would provide seamless connectivity and allow vehicles to zoom from South Mumbai to Thane on the elevated route, saving time, fuel and damage to the environment.
PM Modi will also perform the ground-breaking ceremony for the Phase 1 of Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) project costing Rs 2,550 crore, which would comprise major arterial roads, bridges, flyovers, underpasses and an integrity utility infrastructure.
(With inputs from IANS)
