Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has formed a high-level committee to address persistent overcrowding issues on Metro 1, the city’s first metro corridor connecting Versova to Ghatkopar. The initiative comes just a day after a technical snag paralysed services, causing congestion at key interchange stations. A senior MMRDA official confirmed that the committee will be led by a former top bureaucrat and will have a defined mandate to assess crowding patterns, review operational lapses, and recommend both immediate and long-term mitigation strategies.
The move marks a renewed effort by the public agency to address infrastructural constraints on the 11-year-old Metro 1 line, which is currently operated under a public-private partnership model. Metro 1, jointly operated by the government and a private infrastructure entity, ferries over 500,000 passengers daily. Its 11-km stretch features 16 rakes with four coaches each. However, peak-hour ridership consistently exceeds its optimal carrying capacity. Each trip handles around 1,800 passengers during rush hours, prompting strong public demand to expand the coach configuration from four to six. The operator has proposed the upgrade, pending approval from its financial stakeholders.
In addition to fleet augmentation, the operator is also considering reinstating mixed-loop services during peak times—short-loop trains running between Ghatkopar and Andheri—which earlier accounted for 88% of total ridership. These services had been discontinued in mid-June due to declining passenger numbers at certain western stations. If reintroduced, they are expected to relieve significant pressure from the main line during high-demand periods. The new committee will also evaluate contingency measures such as deploying standby rakes and improving frequency, especially at congested nodes like Ghatkopar and Andheri. MMRDA has assured that all corrective actions will prioritise passenger safety, comfort, and sustainability.
This initiative signals Mumbai’s urgency in bolstering its mass transit systems as urban density and commuter dependency intensify. While infrastructure upgrades take time, institutional accountability and stakeholder coordination remain key to delivering a reliable and resilient metro experience.
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