10.6.13

Mumbai Metro 3

Notwithstanding the delay in completion of Mumbai metro’s first two lines, the Centre is soon set to get cabinet approval for the metro’s third corridor – a 33 km underground section linking Colaba- Bandra- Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) in Andheri West.
The urban development (UD) ministry has recently moved a cabinet note to get approval for the Rs.23,000 crore project. Together with Line 1 and 2 it will result in 77 km of metro corridor in the state.
“We have moved a cabinet note recently to get approval for Mumbai metro’s Line 3 stretch,” said a senior ministry official.
Unlike the earlier two lines which are based on Public Private Partnership model and are being implemented by Reliance Infrastructure, the proposed Line 3 will be a joint venture between the Centre and the Maharashtra government. Sources said the funding for the project is yet to be tied up.
The government has set a March 2019 deadline for completion of Line 3. It will have six coaches initially which will later be increased to eight.
However, both Line 1 and 2 are running behind schedule. The first line has missed six deadlines and is now expected to be commissioned by December 2013. Work on Line 2 has not even taken off because of delay in getting environmental clearance. The delays have resulted in massive cost overruns for both the lines.

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