The construction site of Aqua Line’s Kalbadevi station in Mumbai, in April.
Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/BloombergMumbai Finds an Underground Solution to Its Above-Ground Chaos
The city is counting on the Aqua Line metro, scheduled to open later this year, to connect island business districts to its northern suburbs while alleviating traffic.
Mumbai’s traffic is among the worst in the world and public transit is no better. Passengers hanging from the open doorways of trains and buses are a common sight, and accidents are frequent.
A new metro network aims to alleviate both street congestion and overcrowded rail lines, with authorities promising safety, comfort and greater connectivity across the metropolitan region. Three lines are already in operation, but Mumbai will achieve an important milestone this year when the Aqua Line — a critical fourth line connecting the city’s southern island to its northern suburbs — opens in December. By 2030, the entire system will cover almost as much distance as the city's aging suburban rail, and carry 11 million passengers versus the railway's current 8 million.