The Navi Mumbai’s first Metro line, connecting Belapur and Pendhar, was thrown open for the public at 3 pm on Friday. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the Metro services will commence without any official programme to make the Metro services operational at the earliest for Navi Mumbai residents.
The much-awaited elevated Metro line has been under construction for the past 13 years. Though the foundation stone was laid in 2011, the project faced delays due to challenges related to contractors and technical obstacles. It was finally completed in April this year and was awaiting inauguration.
“The metro services will provide better connectivity within Navi Mumbai. The government aims to build a strong network of metro lines in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region,” CM Shinde said.
City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) had already received the CMRS certificate for the commercial operation of line 1 of Navi Mumbai Metro on June 21.
Route and Timings
The Navi Mumbai Metro Belapur-Pendhar Line 1 will commence on Friday between Pendhar to Belapur Terminal and Belapur Terminal to Pendhar at 3.00 pm, with the last service being at 10pm.
From November 18, the first service between Pendhar to Belapur Terminal and Belapur Terminal to Pendhar will be at 6am, while the last will be at 10 pm. The frequency of the trains will be of 15 minutes.
The metro route between Belapur and Pendhar has 11 stations, with the depot located at Taloja Panchanand. The stations covered are Belapur Terminal, RBI Colony, Belpada, Utsav Chowk, Kendriya Vihar, Kharghar Village, Central Park, Pethpada, Amandoot, Petali-Taloja and Pendhar.
Metro Fare
The fares of Navi Mumbai Metro Belapur-Pendhar Line 1 are as follows:
– Rs 10 for 0 to 2 km
– Rs 15 for 2 to 4 km
– Rs 20 for 4 to 6 km
– Rs 25 for 6 to 8 km
– Rs 30 for 8 to 10 km
– Rs 40 for more than 10 km
Metro Line 1: All You Need to Know
– Metro Line 1 – Belapur to Pendhar
– Total Distance – 11.1 kms
– Stations – 11
– End to end journey time – 18 minutes
– Fare – Rs 10-40
– Frequency – 15 minutes
Future Expansion
Apart from Line 1, connecting Belapur and Pendhar, the other metro lines include:
– Metro Line 2 — a 7.12 km stretch connecting MIDC Taloja to Khandeshwar.
– Metro Line 3 — a 3.87 km stretch connecting Pendhar to MIDC Taloja.
– Metro Line 4 — a 4.17 km stretch that will run from Navi Mumbai International Airport to Panvel. Work on these lines is yet to begin.
How Will the Metro Help?
With the development of metro, developing areas like Kharghar and Taloja will get better connectivity along with Belapur. The presence of Metro will also strengthen Navi Mumbai’s significance as an international city, according to CIDCO Managing Director Anil Diggikar.
The metro will have all the services like parking spaces, ramps for disabled passengers, footpaths, spaces for auto rickshaws, provision of diesel generators for uninterrupted power, passenger announcement system, CCTV and other facilities.
