Mumbai’s expanding metro network moved a step closer to realisation as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) accomplished a landmark engineering feat for Metro Line 9. A 65-metre-long, 700-tonne composite steel girder was successfully launched near the Bhayandar West Road Over Bridge, a crucial span of infrastructure that stitches the metro line’s elevated viaducts across dense urban and railway corridors.
The girder installation, completed across three coordinated night operations on 7, 8, and 11 June 2025, was executed with clockwork precision in collaboration with Western Railway, Konkan Railway, and traffic management authorities. The logistical complexity of the task—elevating and placing three segments of over 235 tonnes each—demanded high-capacity cranes rated at 600 and 750 metric tonnes, with an additional unit on standby. That the operation was completed without incident, despite the high-risk interface with live railway tracks, reflects the project team’s advanced planning and technical capability.
Metro Line 9, spanning 10.54 kilometres from Dahisar East to Mira-Bhayandar, is an ambitious transit corridor featuring Mumbai’s first double-decker structure, where a metro viaduct runs above a vehicular flyover. With eight elevated stations and a strategic alignment connecting multiple commuter nodes, the line is now 95 per cent complete. The first phase, a 4.4-kilometre section between Dahisar East and Kashigaon, is already undergoing trial runs, indicating readiness to handle passenger traffic by the end of the year.
This infrastructure development is not just an engineering triumph—it’s a transformational stride for Mumbai’s western suburbs. The integration of Metro Line 9 with Lines 7 and 7A will establish direct access to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Further connections through Lines 1 and 2B will enable seamless transit to Ghatkopar and Andheri West. Upon future completion of Line 10, the route will extend towards Thane, and Line 13 will push it into the Vasai-Virar belt—enhancing accessibility for lakhs of commuters in a high-density urban sprawl.
What makes this progress even more significant is the project’s alignment with sustainable and equitable urban growth goals. By prioritising public transit infrastructure that decongests roads and reduces reliance on fossil fuel-based transport, Mumbai is taking real steps toward a net-zero mobility vision. Projects like Line 9 exemplify how mega cities can transition from carbon-intensive commutes to high-capacity, low-emission rail systems that are safer, gender-inclusive, and accessible to all income groups.
While the MMRDA has not faced the scale of cost overruns or legal delays seen in other metros, the successful execution of this girder launch signals that even complex builds can be managed with agility. The next critical milestone will be the full commissioning of Phase I by December 2025, with Phase II—extending up to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose station—targeted for a December 2026 completion.
As Mumbai grows vertically and horizontally, the completion of Line 9 is not just a promise of speed—it is a blueprint for a resilient and sustainable urban future.
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