Aqua Line: Mumbai's journey beneath the surface reaches its destination

ASHWINI BHIDE, IAS, Managing Director, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) & Additional Chief Secretary to the CM explains that what began as an engineering vision now stands as a symbol of urban transformation and collective ambition.

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As the final phase of Mumbai's prestigious Aqua Line nears inauguration, the city stands on the brink of a transformative moment in its urban evolution.

The Aqua Line, officially known as Metro Line 3, is more than just an engineering feat. It is a statement of Mumbai's resolve to embrace modernity without losing its pulse. Stretching over 33.5 kilometres from Aarey JVLR in the north to Cuffe Parade at the southern tip, this fully underground corridor represents a quiet revolution beneath the city's crowded surface. With its completion and the commencement of operations between Worli and Cuffe Parade, Mumbai's mass rapid transit story comes full circle, weaving together the financial, commercial, and cultural lifelines of the metropolis in one seamless journey.

The final phase, perhaps the most awaited and symbolic, will connect Worli, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai Central, CSMT, Kalbadevi, Girgaon, Churchgate, and Cuffe Parade through a series of world-class underground stations. This stretch embodies not just connectivity but continuity, linking South Mumbai, long burdened by traffic congestion and limited transport options, to the vibrant western suburbs and beyond. The Aqua Line, when fully operational, will allow a commuter to travel from Aarey JVLR to Cuffe Parade in less than an hour, a journey that today often consumes double or even triple that time by road. In a city where minutes mean livelihoods, the Aqua Line offers something more valuable than convenience, it offers time.