Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will begin energising the Overhead Equipment (OHE) on a 5.6-km stretch of Mumbai Metro Line 2B, between Mandale and Diamond Garden, from April 8. This marks the start of the phased rollout of the 23.6-km elevated corridor, which has faced multiple delays since inception.
According to officials, energisation work on the test track inside the Mandale depot has already been completed, and the first trainset has successfully been rolled out. “This is a key step before we begin trial runs and commissioning,” an MMRDA official told Times of India. “We are targeting to operationalise the Mandale to Diamond Garden stretch before the end of this year,” he added.
Metro Line 2B is part of the broader Metro Line 2 corridor (along with Line 2A), connecting D N Nagar in the west to Mandale in the east, passing through major hubs like Bandra, Kurla and Chembur. Once fully operational, it is expected to serve over 10 lakh commuters daily, significantly reducing traffic congestion on key arterial roads.
Given the delays, MMRDA is now implementing the project in phases, with the Mandale–Diamond Garden segment being prioritised. The line will run on a 25kV AC OHE system, similar to other Metro lines across Mumbai.
A key part of Line 2B’s infrastructure is the Mandale depot, located on a 31.4-hectare plot in Mankhurd. Built mostly on government-owned land, the depot is designed with a space-efficient double-decker structure and will have the capacity to stable up to 72 Metro trains. This facility is crucial for train maintenance, stabling, and operations for the eastern section of Line 2B.
Metro 2B | Maha Mumbai Metro
MMRDA aims to complete trial runs on the energised segment soon after April 8, paving the way for safety inspections and approvals. The authority is optimistic that this stretch will be operational by late 2025, offering a major relief to daily commuters in the eastern suburbs.
The rest of Line 2B, from Diamond Garden to D N Nagar, remains under various stages of construction, and timelines for their completion will depend on future clearances and funding.
