Metro will be functional two years before schedule

Even though seeing the first corridor of the Mumbai Metro completed by 2012 seems like a distant dream, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has set a new deadline — 2010.

Top officials of the authority announced that as many as 60% of the civil works for the first line are over and the metro should be up and running by the end of next year.
Trying to put a full stop to the recent controversies regarding the deadline of the first corridor running between Versova and Ghatkopar via Andheri, MMRDA chief Ratnakar Gaikwad said that the metro will be functional by December 2010. He said: “Though as per the concession agreement between MMRDA and the consortium partners — Reliance Infrastructure and Veolia transport (France) — the metro should be ready by March 2012. However, Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) should be in a position to finish the work by next year end.”

MMOPL has two mammoth tasks still to be completed. The construction of the 180m railway-over-bridge at Andheri and the bridge over the Andheri flyover crossing the Western Express Highway is still to begin.

Despite this, officials of MMRDA are confident. “We have already completed almost 60% of civil works. The rolling stock will also start coming to the city by January 2010. So we are confident of the stretch to be completed two years ahead of schedule,” said Gaikwad.