Two new Metro corridors launched in Mumbai on the same day — but their opening day stories couldn’t be more different.
Metro Line 9 (Kashigaon–Dahisar): A Hit With Mira-Bhayander Commuters
Metro Line 9 drew strong footfalls on Day 1, with commuters from Mira Road and Bhayander
welcoming the long-awaited relief from the Dahisar check naka bottleneck.
According to The Times of India, the new corridor is already seamlessly integrated with Line 7 up to Gundavali.
“Earlier, reaching Dahisar itself used to be a struggle. Now, I can board the metro at Kashigaon and reach Andheri far more comfortably,” Hari Pal, a logistics professional, was quoted by TOI.
Commuters said the route is shaving 15–20 minutes off daily journeys. A Metro One official was quoted saying that “positive ridership trends were observed in all five stations between WEH and Saki Naka.”
Metro 2A and 7 currently average 3.4 lakh daily riders — a number expected to rise by at least 1 lakh with Line 9 now operational.
Metro Line 2B (Mandale–Diamond Garden): Muted Start
The eastern stretch told a different story. A staffer at one of the stations told TOI that barely 250 people had travelled on the route till 4:30 pm.
Commuters said the corridor, in its current form, lacks practical connectivity — it neither links with the monorail nor reaches major commercial hubs.
“The line’s true potential will unfold only after it is extended to Kurla, Bandra and Andheri,” infrastructure enthusiast Arindam Mahapatra was quoted.
Notably, MMRDA had not released official Day 1 ridership figures at the time of going to press, a departure from past practice.
