The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has abandoned plans to construct separate Metro car sheds at Uttan Dongri and Pahadi Goregaon, opting instead to utilise shared maintenance infrastructure for multiple Metro corridors. The decision is expected to reduce project expenditure, ease land acquisition challenges and protect approximately 12,000 trees at Uttan Dongri.
According to an MMRDA official, individual Metro corridors do not necessarily require dedicated depots during their initial operational stages, particularly when interconnected lines can share existing maintenance facilities. The revised approach is expected to minimise the requirement for additional land and supporting infrastructure.
Under the new arrangement, trains operating on Metro Line 9, connecting Dahisar East with Mira-Bhayandar, will be maintained at the Charkop depot, which currently serves Metro Line 7. Metro Line 9 is connected to Line 7 and the proposed Line 7A towards Mumbai airport, allowing the corridors to utilise common facilities.
The authority has also decided against developing a separate car shed at Pahadi Goregaon for Metro Line 6, which connects Swami Samarth Nagar with Vikhroli through Jogeshwari. The 14.5-km corridor is nearing completion, and its maintenance operations will instead be supported by a pit line.
A pit line is a specialised track that enables technicians to inspect and repair the underside of Metro trains without lifting the coaches. An earlier proposal to establish a dedicated depot at Kanjurmarg for Line 6 could not advance because of land acquisition difficulties.
Metro Line 6 is also connected to Metro Line 4, which runs between Wadala and Kasarvadavali, creating opportunities for shared maintenance arrangements.
The decision comes as MMRDA expands its Metro network across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Construction is progressing on 13 Metro corridors, while the authority currently has two operational car sheds and another depot under development at Kasheli.
Environmental objections, public opposition and land-related complications have delayed several proposed facilities. Shared depots are expected to address these challenges while reducing infrastructure costs and protecting environmentally sensitive areas.
Source: The Free Press Journal
