Line 3: An engineering marvel becomes fully operational under the congested and historical metropolis of Mumbai

I am full of nostalgia as the entire line is getting commissioned.

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Personally I find this project that spanned about 11 years of my professional life, a very enriching and satisfying experience. Unwavering support from the governments and Mumbaikars; motivation, sense of purpose and belief of the entire MMRC team and its leadership in the project led to this day of full commissioning.

In the annals of the history of Mumbai this project will certainly go down as an iconic landmark for its complexities and challenges, be it technical, topographical, geological, logistical or administrative that were successfully navigated. It will be a game-changer by acting as a travel spine in the growing skyline of the city.

Line 3 is one of the longest underground Metro line in the world constructed in one go. This has 27 stations, out of which 26 are underground stations nestled in congested surroundings with connecting tunnels navigating similar topography.

While TBMs, Cut & Cover or NATM are the technologies for the construction of underground work anywhere in the world, what makes the Line 3 project unique is the amalgamation of various elements on the difficult side. Be it the size of the project, brown field conditions of a bustling mega metropolis or complexity and difficulty involved at each site being handled simultaneously by a young organisation doing its very first project of its life. Congested topography, narrow roads, massive old and deep drains and other civic utilities, complex geology, coastal region and areas of reclamations were dealt in constructing deep massive underground spaces. This warranted highly responsible conduct and technical due diligence by internal stakeholders in matters of project design and execution at all stages of construction.