Dharavi–Acharya Atre Chowk Section Of JICA-Supported Mumbai Metro Line
3 Inaugurated | FPJ/ Salman Ansari
Mumbai: Commuters on Mumbai’s new underground Aqua Line 3 faced a major disruption on Wednesday when mobile phone networks across all service providers went offline inside the metro stations and trains. The outage, which left passengers unable to access mobile-based ticketing, make calls, or perform digital transactions, triggered widespread inconvenience during peak travel hours.
Online Ticketing Services Take Hit Due To Network Issue
The sudden blackout left passengers stranded at ticket vending machines, unable to retrieve e-tickets or use UPI-based payment apps. Authorities put up notices at stations advising commuters to activate offline tickets from the metro app before entering the network. The incident has brought to light an ongoing standoff between the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) and telecom operators over the installation of cellular infrastructure inside the underground system.
Though MMRCL did not officially comment on the network shutdown, it had earlier clarified its position on the matter. According to a previous statement, MMRCL had followed a transparent bidding process to appoint a neutral telecom infrastructure provider for Line 3. “This provider has the required licence and has already set up the infrastructure. The selection was done through an open tender, supported by letters from telecom companies themselves. Any allegation of irregularity is baseless,” the corporation stated.
The newly operational section from Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli includes six underground stations and offers a 15-minute ride with trains running every 6 minutes and 20 seconds. Eight trains make 244 daily trips along the corridor, with fares ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 40. The maximum fare for a full stretch journey from Aarey JVLR to Worli is Rs 60.
PM Modi Likely To Inaugurate Complete Metro 3 Line In August
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had inaugurated the stretch on May 10, announcing that the full 33.5-km Aqua Line from Colaba to SEEPZ will be operational by August. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the completed corridor. Once functional, the line will serve 27 stations (26 underground and one at-grade), aiming to reduce congestion on roads and ease pressure on Mumbai’s overburdened suburban railway system.
With a total project cost of Rs 37,276 crore, the Aqua Line promises a modern, efficient commuting experience, but without mobile connectivity, that promise remains only partially fulfilled for now.
