In a major milestone for public transportation in Navi Mumbai, the Belapur-Pendhar metroline has crossed a ridership of 1 crore commuters since its launch in November 2023, an official release stated on Sunday.
The impressive figure was reached on September 6, marking a significant achievement in just under two years of operation, the CIDCO stated. The Belapur-Pendhar metro line was the first phase of the larger Navi Mumbai Metro project, envisioned to provide fast, efficient, and modern mass transit for the city. The line plays a key role in connecting residential and industrial hubs such as CBD Belapur, Taloja MIDC, and CIDCO housing complexes in Taloja and Kharghar, PTI reported.
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The state-owned CIDCO has continuously refined the metro service to meet the evolving needs of commuters. Notably, the timetable was revised to increase train frequency, with services now available every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during non-peak hours, said the release.
The maximum fare has been capped at Rs 30, it said. “These commuter-friendly measures are drawing more and more commuters to this Line and hence have achieved the record ridership of 1 crore within a period of just two years,” CIDCO added.
सिडकोतर्फे साकारण्यात आलेल्या नवी मुंबई मेट्रो मार्गिका क्र. १ वरील प्रवासी सेवा आजपासून सुरू!
नागरीकांचा मिळाला उत्स्फूर्त प्रतिसाद!
सर्व नागरिकांना आवाहन करण्यात येते की त्यांनीदेखील आपले नवी मुंबई मेट्रो प्रवासाचे अनुभव #jabwemetro या हॅशटॅग वर शेअर करावेत! pic.twitter.com/dROAC3TtfH
— CIDCO Ltd (@CIDCO_Ltd) November 17, 2023
The Navi Mumbai Metro Line
Operational since November 17, 2023, covering an elevated corridor of 11 km with 11 stations from CBD Belapur to Pendhar, the Navi Mumbai Metroline is being gradually extended toward Khandeshwar and Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), reaching a planned full length of 23.4-23.6 km with 20 stations.
Navi Mumbai is arapid transit rail system, which has one operational line.
The project has three phases:
- Phase 1: Belapur to Pendhar (11.10 km) with 11 stations – CBD Belapur, Sector 7, CIDCO Science Park, Utsav Chowk, Sector 11, Sector 14, Central Park, Pethpada, Sector 34, Panchanand and Pendhar Metro Station.
- Phase 2: Khandeshwar to MIDC Taloja (extension to Airport proposed) (10.3 km) with 8 stations –Khandeshwar, Kalamboli, Sector 13, Sector 11, Sector 7E, Sector 7, Sector 2E, and MIDC Taloja.
- Phase 3: Interlink between Pendhar and MIDC Taloja (2.2 km) with one station.
Navi Mumbai Metro Line: Key stations
CBD Belapur (interchange with Mumbai suburban rail)
Belpada (Kharghar) (interchange with Kharghar railway station)
Pethali–Taloja (near Taloje Panchnand rail station)
Pendhar terminal
Navi Mumbai Metro Line: What are its operating hours and frequency?
Operating hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily
Frequency: Early operations indicate a train every 15 minutes, especially in Phase I stretch; frequency improvements are expected as ridership grows
Navi Mumbai Metro Line: What is the fare structure?
Distance-based fare slabs from Rs 10 (up to 2 km) to Rs 40 for journeys over 10 km.
CIDCO recently rolled out a QR-based ticketing system, allowing mobile or paper tickets purchased via app or soon via WhatsApp and NCMC smart cards for unified travel across networks.
नवी मुंबई मेट्रो आता आपल्या सेवेत कार्यरत झालेली आहे. नवी मुंबई मेट्रोच्या सोबतीने बेलापूर ते पेणधरचा प्रवास झाला सोप्पा!
सर्व नागरिकांना आवाहन करण्यात येते की त्यांनीदेखील आपले नवी मुंबई मेट्रो प्रवासाचे अनुभव #jabwemetro या हॅशटॅग वर शेअर करावेत! pic.twitter.com/eN9XAD7KOg
— CIDCO Ltd (@CIDCO_Ltd) November 28, 2023
Navi Mumbai Metro Line: Is it linked to Mumbai Metro?
Direct link proposed via Mumbai Metro Line 8 (Gold Line), with an interchange at proposed Sagar Sangam station in Belapur, linking it with Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1.
Several stations provide direct or nearby suburban rail interchanges:
CBD Belapur: Belapur suburban railway (Harbour Line)
Belpada (Kharghar): Kharghar railway station
Pethali-Taloja: Taloje Panchnand railway station
Feeder systems are being planned: shared autos, BEST bus bays, and pedestrian access with autorickshaw facilities near key stations.
Additionally, the Mumbai Metro Line 12 (Kalyan-Taloja Metro) will interlink with the Navi Mumbai Metro at Taloja.
With PTI Inputs
