Trial run for Metro-3 at Marol Maroshi: CMO

MUMBAI: Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has decided to hold a trial run for Metro-3 railway line at Marol Maroshi on an underground track. Thackeray asserted that location was outside the Aarey Colony forest and not a single tree at Aarey Colony would be cut for the trials for Metro-3 line which runs between Colaba and SEEPZ.

The statement released by the Chief Minister’s office (CMO) said the ramp was being put near Aarey, but it was outside the protected forest. “In order to solve the problem of traffic congestion in South Mumbai, it has been decided to conduct trial run of Colaba-SEEPZ metro line at Marol Maroshi,” said the release. “For the Metro-3, the Alstom company has in Sri City in Andhra Pradesh manufactured a metro train of eight compartments. They have completed the technical tests of this train and will be brought to Mumbai for the trial run for 10,000 kilometres,” it added. It said once the trial runs are successful, 31 trains can run on this corridor.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) said the decision will provide an impetus to the project. “With 97% of tunnelling and about 70% of civil work completed, start of technical trials of the prototype train is another milestone on the project. The work to set up temporary facility will begin shortly and may take about 2.5 months to complete. Field trials will immediately start post arrival of the trains,” said Ranjit Singh Deol, managing director, MMRC.

The ambitious 33.5-km corridor has already been delayed, with a cost escalation of around ₹10,270 crore. In this, 70 % of the work including 95 % of tunnelling is already completed. The project has already been stuck, after the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government ordered a stay on constructing of the depot at Aarey Colony in November 2019.

The previous BJP-led government was a strong votary of the Aarey land. Thackeray announced the state’s decision to shift the car shed to Kanjurmarg in October last year. Last December, the Bombay High Court stayed the decision of the suburban collector to hand over the Kanjurmarg plot for car shed. Since then the matter has been pending before the Court.

Transport expert Paresh Rawal said: “We can have multiple trial runs, but Metro will not be functional till you have a car shed in place. We have overshot the deadlines and this project may further get delayed till we don’t finalise on the car shed.”