Mumbai Metro’s next leap: Red and Yellow lines prepare to operate separately

Mumbai Metro Lines 7 and 2A will part ways soon While a train departing from Gundavli will make its way to Mira Road train services from DN Nagar Andheri West will terminate at a common ticketed station interchange in Dahisar East Also the Red Line 7 depot will remain at Charkop 22 rakes while that of Line 2 will be shifted to Mandale 72 rakesFor the first time Mumbairsquos Metro network is operating simultaneously at both ends of the city and is abuzz with ldquopreparation trialsrdquo at the cityrsquos east and west corridors at the same time This also means the Red Line 7 and Yellow Line 2A are being readied to separate ways for their respective growthWhile the Red Line 7 depot will remain at Charkop 22 rakes that of Line 2A and B will be shifted to Mandale 72 rakes These depots are critical infrastructure for the expansion of the Metro network Without sufficient stabling and maintenance capacity train operations cannot be sustained or scaled While the Mandale facility especially is being built as a stateoftheart multilevel facility reflecting the scale of investment needed for a modern Metro system the Charkop one is smaller and is being constructed using available land to keep operations running while larger sites are prepared Together they support the synchronised push from both the eastern and western ends of the cityA Metro train zooms past traffic on WEH in Mira Road East on May 14 PicSatej ShindeNew synchronicityWith integration trials on the Red Line 79 at the Mira Road end and Commission of Railway Safety CRS approvals on the Yellow Line 2B at MankhurdChembur end the two Metro lines at either end of the city are setting the stage for operational readiness This means the expanding network is being synchronised on two distinct urban fronts one surging ahead in the western suburbs and the other tightening bolts in the eastern beltTogether these efforts will soon bridge the city with a seamless eastwest Metro link that passes through its most vital commercial and residential zones including Chembur Kurla Bandra Kurla Complex the airport to Kashimira and beyond The corridor which currently runs from Dahisar East to Gundavli is extending northward toward Mira Road till Kashimira where the first phase of the MiraBhayandar extension is taking shape rapidly At the southern end in the western suburbs the Red Line 7 will soon dip underground near the airport connecting with the underconstruction tunnel network that links to the domestic and international terminals integrating its station next to Aqua Line 3At the northern end in the eastern suburbs the Yellow Line 2B mdash stretching from Mandale to Diamond Garden in Chembur is approaching its final phase of readiness CRS approvals and system trials have been completed and the section is expected to open by the end of the monthBeyond Mankhurd the Mandale depot is ready and will serve as the operations and maintenance hub for the line Once operational Lines 2A and 2B will start from Mandale near Mankhurd to Dahisar in the west The common Dahisar East station will further connect to Red Line 7 enabling one to travel to Mira Road and beyond32 hectaresArea of plot where Line 2 depot will be builtMandale depotLocation Situated in the eastern suburbs in MankhurdMandale on land owned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA Spread over approximately 32 hectares it has been designed as a doubledeck structure ground one floor to maximise land useCapacity It has been built to house up to 72 rakes trainsets making it one of the largest Metro depots in MumbaiFeatures Technical amp service buildings washing and inspection pits stabling lines lines where trains are parked when not in service A threestorey 21metrehigh dedicated simulator building for driveroperator training with an approximate builtup area of 327866 sq mRole in Metro network Designated to serve the eastndashwest corridor specifically the entire Line 2 and supporting other linesCharkop depotLocation The Malwani Malad West area The site covers about 1959 hectares of land Presently assigned originally to serve the western corridor lines of the Metro network as an interim or shared depotCapacity It has been built to house up to 22 rakesFeatures The depot includes carshed facilities and serves as a stablingmaintenance point for trains operating on the western corridor until their permanent depot is available Located near the Poisar Riverlocal drain separated by about 900 m from the main line requiring elevated link worksRole in Metro network Will enable western end operations and stable trains for lines that run to Dahisar East and beyond