Blue Line (Mumbai Metro)
Blue Line 1 is a rapid transit metro line of the Mumbai Metro, in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The line is fully elevated and consists of 12 stations, from Versova to Ghatkopar. The line connects the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai. It was built at an estimated cost of and is operated by the Metro One Operation Pvt. Ltd on a 5-year contract. This special purpose vehicle, namely, Mumbai Metro One Private Limited, was incorporated for the implementation of the project. Reliance Infrastructure holds 74% of the equity share capital of MMOPL, 26% is with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
The Mumbai Metro 1 Blue Line started operations on 8 June 2014. It has the eighth-highest passenger density of any metro line in the world. The Blue Line has the steepest curve of any metro line in India. There are a total of 64 curves on the line, with the steepest curve being.
History
Background
The Government of Maharashtra through the MMRDA, in order to improve the traffic and transportation scenario in Mumbai and to cater to the future travel needs in the next 2-3 decades began exploring the viability of various alternative mass transit systems which are efficient, economically viable and environment friendly. In this context, a detailed feasibility study was carried out under Indo-German technical co-operation by entrusting the consultancy work to Tewet in association with DE-Consult GmbH and Tata Consultancy Services, during 1997–2000. The study recommended a mass transit corridor from Andheri to Ghatkopar as potentially bankable and economically viable, after examining a number of alternative corridors and alignments. This study was updated by the MMRDA in May 2004. Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation prepared the master plan for Mumbai Metro, wherein they recommended extending the Andheri-Ghatkopar section to Versova as part of the master plan and identified it as a priority corridor for implementation. The State Government declared the project as a "public vital infrastructure project" and designated the MMRDA as the Project Implementation Agency. The Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor was chosen as the first line in the master plan to be implemented.The Mumbai Suburban Railway connects Mumbai from north to south. However, east–west connectivity is poor. The Versova-Ghatkopar route had no suburban rail link and was serviced by either BEST buses, autos or taxis. Blue Line provides east–west rail connectivity between the Eastern and Western suburbs of Mumbai. It facilitates interchange between the Mumbai Suburban Railway and Mumbai Metro at Andheri and Ghatkopar stations. The line significantly reduces the journey time from Versova to Ghatkopar from 90–120 minutes to 21 minutes, and bypasses about 45 traffic signals. It also provides rail connectivity to the MIDC and SEEPZ.
Construction
The concession agreement for the Versova–Andheri–Ghatkopar corridor was signed with Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd, a joint venture company owned by Reliance Infrastructure, Veolia Transport and the MMRDA, in March 2007. SSRI Creative Infrastructure was the main technical contractor. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone on 21 June 2006. The work order for the project was issued on 21 January 2008, and work began on 8 February 2008. In September 2011, MMOPL officials claimed that trial runs on the first section of the corridor, the Versova–D.N. Nagar–Azad Nagar stretch, would start by February 2012, with a view to opening the stretch to commuters by March or April 2012. The deadline for completion of Blue line has been shifted several times. The following months have all, at some point of time, been announced as the deadline for completion of the project - July and September 2010, July 2011, March and November 2012, September 2013 and December 2013, and 31 March 2014.The MMOPL blamed the delay in construction on the MMRDA. RInfra officials said that the MMRDA had to acquire land along the route and provide right of way to the MMOPL by December 2008. As of August 2008, the MMRDA had only freed up 20% of required land. The lack of maps of underground utilities made the task more difficult. As per the contract between the MMOPL and the MMRDA, the MMRDA was supposed to hand over complete right of way to the MMOPL by mid-2008. The MMOPL eventually received nearly 100% of the land required for the project in December 2011, with the exceptions of the minaret of a mosque near Andheri station and a portion of the roof of Maheshwar Temple near Jagruti Nagar station that still needed to be demolished. Both impediments were resolved in October 2012 and the MMRDA finally obtained 100% right of way along the entire alignment of Blue Line.
File:Marol, metro station under construction.JPG|thumb|right|Marol Naka station under construction in Andheri in 2012
By October 2011, the majority of the corridor's track-support pillars and girders had been laid, and the 12 individual stations were 70% complete, with most of the stations rising above platform level. However, land acquisition and right-of-way issues, along with problems with the construction of a Metro-related viaduct, delayed the line's predicted completion to summer 2012. In May 2012, the Indian Bank restructured the Mumbai Metro's loan account, citing the project's land use problems.
On 1 May 2013, a successful trial run from Versova to Azad Nagar stations was conducted on Blue Line in the presence of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who said that the line would open to the public from September 2013. However, MMRDA officials told Business Standard in August 2013 that the metro would be delayed further as it had not received approval from the Central Railway Safety Commissioner, and some of the facilities remained incomplete. The first major trial run on Blue Line, began at 6:45pm IST on 3 June 2013 from Versova metro station, and covered the stretch to Airport Road metro station by 7:05pm, according to MMRDA additional commissioner S.V.R. Srinivas, who was on board the train. Trial runs had been conducted for the past month, the most notable being the trial run on 1 May 2013, that was officially flagged off by the Chief Minister. However, trials prior to the 3 June trial, were restricted to the between Versova and Azad Nagar stations on JP Road.
Several tests were conducted before the metro opened to the public. According to the information given by the MMRDA to a Right to Information Act query filed by activist Anil Galgali, around 5% of the civil works of the line were still pending as of December 2013. The reply to the RTI query said that Versova, D.N. Nagar, Azad Nagar, Chakala and Airport Road stations were 99% complete as of December 2013. Andheri, Saki Naka, Marol and Western Express Highway stations were in the range of 95-98%. Construction work at Ghatkopar was 90% complete, Asalpha and Jagruti Nagar stations were 80% and 85% complete respectively.
The MMRDA sent a letter to RInfra on 31 December 2013, asking them to change the name of the metro system from Reliance Metro to Mumbai Metro. The MMRDA pointed out that the original concession agreement said that the project would be named as the Mumbai Metro. RInfra issued a press statement on 2 January 2014, blaming the MMRDA for having "failed to provide any guidance on this subject during the bidding stage and/or during the implementation stage". Republican Party of India workers protested the name Reliance Metro on 8 January 2014 by blackening boards with Reliance's logo at Chakala metro station. On 11 January, Shiv Sena MLA Subhash Desai sent a letter to Chief Minister Chavan opposing the Reliance Metro name, and expressing support for the name Mumbai Metro. In February 2014, U.P.S. Madan, metropolitan commissioner of MMRDA, confirmed that RInfra had agreed to rename the project as Mumbai Metro from Reliance Metro. However, even by April 2014, the Reliance Metro logos that had been stuck on trains and stations had not been removed. MMOPL officials said that they had not yet received any new logo design, and were still awaiting the same. On 30 April 2014 The MMOPL unveiled a new logo, which uses the name "Mumbai Metro" but also includes the MMRDA and Reliance Infrastructure. The new name was also confirmed by Chavan at a press conference at Vidhan Bhawan on 14 June 2014. When asked about RInfra posting its "Reliance Metro" branding at some metro stations, he said, "It is 'Mumbai Metro' and we will ensure that it remains the same in future also".
File:Asalfa station Birdseye..jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.25|Jagruti Nagar station under construction in Ghatkopar in 2012
On 6 February 2014, RInfra announced that construction was complete, and that some of the regulatory approvals were in place. However, the construction of approach roads to stations such as Jagruti Nagar and Asalpha Road had not been completed, although this work was to be undertaken by the MMRDA, and not MMOPL. A comprehensive fire drill was undertaken by the Fire Brigade, Mumbai Police, and MMOPL in March 2014. During trials in mid-March 2014, the Mumbai Metro ran trains at a headway of almost 4 minutes.
Oscillation trials were completed in early 2014. However, the submission of the report by the RDSO to the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety was delayed a public interest litigation filed in Maharashtra High Court on the height of Mumbai Suburban Railway station platforms. The RDSO had to divert its resources to inspecting the suburban railway platforms, because passengers were falling into the gap between the platform and the trains. The MMOPL was granted a "speed certificate" from the RDSO on 2 April. MMRDA and MMOPL authorities jointly applied to the CMRS for safety certification on 4 April.
Then CMRS for the western circle P.S. Baghel began physically inspecting the line on 18 April, and completed it on 28 April. The CMRS required certain minor improvements to access areas before the metro could begin operations. The CMRS also said that he would travel to Lucknow to discuss the inspection with RDSO officials and then cross check all the other necessary approvals, including rolling stocks, from the Railway Board. The line received safety clearance from the CMRS on 2 May 2014.
The Congress-NCP government had wanted to open the line by 24 April 2014, the voting day in Mumbai for the 2014 general elections. The MMRDA had to obtain approval for the locomotives from the railway board. The MMOPL approached the Railway Board for approval of rolling stock on 22 April. MMRDA and MMOPL officials said that the line would open within 7 days of receiving approval from the Railway Board. Despite the MMOPL submitting the necessary paperwork on 22 April, the Railway Board did not grant approve until late May 2014. According to railway officials, this was because the rakes and wheels used in the metro were "of a new kind, with newer dimensions". Another reason given for the delay was the change of government at the Centre following the 2014 general elections. The newly appointed Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda gave the final approval on 5 June. MMOPL Chief Executive Abhay Mishra announced on 7 June that the metro would open the following day.
A key proposal of the Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme was the integration of the metro rail system with the BEST. The BEST and the BMC jointly worked towards relocating existing bus stops. BEST bus feeder routes were created along the metro corridor. Bus stops have electronic indicators displaying the expected arrival time of the next train, and information about bus schedules is available inside the metro stations. The MMRDA widened footpaths below metro stations. Parking for bikes and motorbikes is available at all stations.