Mumbai Metro update: Aarey depot on Metro Line 3 nears completion; to house 30 rakes of eight cars each

The depot’s construction commenced in September 2017 but was halted on November 29, 2019, by then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. (PTI)

The construction of the Aarey carshed, which will serve as the maintenance base for metro coaches of Mumbai Metro Line 3, is close to completion, with 95% of the work finished. Metro 3, a 33.5-km underground line connecting Colaba to Seepz via Bandra Kurla Complex, is entirely underground, The Indian Express reported.

Mumbai Metro Aarey depot

Spanning a 25-hectare land parcel, the Aarey depot will have the capacity of housing 30 rakes of eight cars each. The depot’s construction commenced in September 2017 but was halted on November 29, 2019, by then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. After his resignation, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s administration resumed work on July 1, 2022.

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The depot, with a total expenditure of Rs 328 crore, includes stabling lines, a workshop, maintenance building, operational control center (OCC), access control building, auxiliary substation building, and an underground water tank, among other facilities.

On Thursday, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRC) managing director Ashwini Bhide took a review of the project with other officials.

The operations for Phase 1 (BKC to Aarey) will be managed from Aarey’s primary monitoring center in conjunction with the backup control center (BCC) at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

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According to a source, the original plan was to conduct Phase 1 commercial operations from BCC at BKC until the Aarey depot is fully operational. However, given the significant progress in Aarey’s depot construction, Phase 1 operations will now be handled from both centers. The initial target deadline for Phase 1 (BKC-Aarey) was December 2023, but it has been rescheduled to April 2024.