October 27, 2025: Mumbai Metro Line 3, the Aqua Line connecting the city centre to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport’s (CSMIA) Terminals 1 and 2, is facing widespread criticism from commuters for its lack of descending escalators and functional elevators. Just weeks after the corridor’s full opening, passengers — particularly air travellers and senior citizens — have voiced frustration over accessibility challenges at the airport metro stations.
The stations at CSMIA T-1 and T-2, which were expected to offer seamless airport connectivity, have become difficult to navigate for passengers carrying heavy luggage. Many flyers have reported being forced to drag suitcases down long stairways due to the absence of downward-moving escalators.
Social media outrage was sparked after X user Kunal Purohit shared a post highlighting the issue, writing, “People forced to carry heavy bags down.” The post quickly went viral, drawing similar complaints from other users. One commuter shared, “The elevator wasn’t working, and there were no escalators. That’s not international standards.” Another reported carrying a 25-kg suitcase down the stairs at the T-1 station.
Currently, the escalators at both terminals operate only in the upward direction, forcing passengers to descend manually. Flyers using the T-2 terminal station must also walk nearly 500 metres from the metro exit to the airport gates, while those at T-1 walk about 200 metres.
While commuters praised the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) for providing connecting bridges to both terminals — improving last-mile connectivity — they emphasised that accessibility remains a major concern.
In response, MMRC told The Free Press Journal that “lifts are available at both T-1 and T-2 metro stations. Flyers can use the lifts.” However, passengers continue to demand additional descending escalators and better functional maintenance.
Source: The Free Press Journal
