Mumbai's first metro line completes 11 years; served 1.11 bn commuters

Mumbai's first metro corridor, the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar line, has completed 11 years of operations, having transported more than 111 crore commuters since its launch in 2014.

In a release issued earlier this week, Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) said that of the 12 stations on the 11.8-km corridor, Ghatkopar recorded the highest footfall with 30 crore commuters, followed by Andheri with 23 crore and Saki Naka with 11 crore.

The current weekday ridership stands at around 500,000, with a peak of 547,000 commuters, it added.

The agency said that Metro Line 1, or Metro One, has made more than 12.6 lakh train trips, covering 1.45 crore km while maintaining 99.99 per cent punctuality and 99.96 per cent train availability.

The Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) corridor, which commenced operations on June 8, 2014, is considered one of the major east-west links in the metropolis.

The corridor's integration with other lines Line 2A at DN Nagar, Line 7 at Western Express Highway, and Line 3 at Marol Naka has improved connectivity and reduced commute times, the release said. 

The MMOPL has introduced short-loop services between Ghatkopar and Andheri, enhancing capacity on the busiest section of the route.

As per the release, the metro line has received more than 40 national and international awards, including the Urban Mobility India Award (2024) for Best Passenger Services and iNFHRA Awards for Transportation Innovation and Green Commuting.

Metro One's operations have helped offset more than 67,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent to planting more than 3 million trees, and its sustainable features, such as regenerative braking, energy-efficient trains, and solar-powered infrastructure, contribute to its green credentials.

As India's first metro project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), the VAG corridor has become a symbol of reliable, efficient, and eco-conscious urban mobility, the MMOPL stated in the release.