Mumbai Metro One will introduce a revised operating pattern on Metro Line 1 from August 10 to handle heavy evening rush-hour demand, particularly on the busy Andheri-Ghatkopar section.
The new system will use a mixed-loop arrangement during evening peak hours. Under this plan, one service will operate only between Andheri and Ghatkopar, followed by a train running across the complete Versova-Ghatkopar corridor. This will allow the operator to deploy additional services where passenger demand is highest without increasing the frequency across the entire route.
The short-loop services will operate between approximately 6.23 pm and 8.23 pm. With the revised timetable, the interval between trains on the Andheri-Ghatkopar stretch will be reduced from about 3.2 minutes to three minutes.
Metro One expects the change to increase carrying capacity on the section by around 20%, providing space for approximately 28,000 additional passengers. The move is expected to particularly benefit commuters travelling between Andheri and Ghatkopar during the evening rush.
However, passengers travelling towards Versova could experience longer waiting times. The interval between trains on the Versova-Azad Nagar section during peak hours is expected to increase to slightly over six minutes because of the mixed-loop arrangement.
Metro Line 1, connecting Versova, Andheri and Ghatkopar, was Mumbai’s first operational metro corridor and continues to be one of the city’s busiest public transport routes. It carries around 500,000 passengers on a typical working day.
The revised operation is intended to redistribute available capacity based on passenger demand rather than uniformly increase services across the entire corridor. By concentrating additional trains on Andheri-Ghatkopar, Mumbai Metro One aims to reduce overcrowding and waiting times on the section experiencing the greatest pressure during evening peak hours.
The change will initially be implemented as part of the operator’s effort to make better use of existing infrastructure and improve the overall commuter experience.
Source: Swarajya
