Mumbai Metro 1 Plans Major Upgrade to Ease Peak Hour Overcrowding and Delays
Mumbai Metro Line 1 is preparing for a significant upgrade aimed at alleviating intense crowding and recurring delays during peak hours. The operator has officially submitted a proposal to its lenders, via IDRCL and NARCL, to procure additional coaches and transform current four-coach trains into six-coach units. Alongside this, short‑loop services between Ghatkopar and Andheri are being reconsidered to better distribute ridership during busy periods.
An interim measure under review is the return of mixed‑loop services operating only between Ghatkopar and Andheri during peak hours. These services, tried between April and June 2025, served around 88 per cent of daily commuters but were suspended on 16 June after feedback from passengers travelling further afield prompted concerns over reduced frequency. Meanwhile Metro 1 has offset this by adding 452 extra trips and is working to improve train speeds and reduce headways.
At present, Mumbai Metro 1 handles approximately 65,000 passengers during peak hours, with trains running every 3 minutes and 20 seconds across 36 trips. However a recent incident on Monday morning exposed the network’s fragility. A train that failed to reach operational speed had to be withdrawn, resulting in a backlog of around 500 commuters at Ghatkopar station. The delay persisted for 45 minutes and highlighted the ripple effect of even one cancelled trip, which carries the capacity for about 1,750 passengers. Backup services are usually deployed using hot‑standby trains but the incident underscored existing system strain.
The plan to add additional coaches represents a long‑term investment in capacity, but its implementation depends on approval of funding, infrastructure readiness, and post‑monsoon permissions for civil work. Even with optimised speed and service frequency improvements underway, city commuters continue to endure overcrowding at major hubs. If the proposed upgrade receives clearance, Mumbai Metro 1 will be better equipped to accommodate growing ridership and enhance reliability.
