Credit: Sanjay Hadkar/TNN

MUMBAI: Services of the Mumbai Metro Line 3, also know as ‘Aqua Line‘ from Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli became operational on Saturday.

Until now, the Aqua Line was functional only between JVLR Aarey and BKC, which was opened last year. Currently, other operational metro corridors in the city include Line 1 (Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova), Line 2A (Dahisar East-Andheri West), and Line 7 (Andheri East-Dahisar East), which serve the suburban areas.

On Friday, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the Phase 2A stretch from BKC to Worli and announced that the final leg of Line 3, connecting Worli to Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai, would be operational by August. According to a spokesperson from the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRC), services commenced at 6.30 am, with the first trains departing simultaneously from Worli Naka and JVLR Aarey stations. Metro services on this stretch will run from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm daily, except Sundays when they will begin at 8.30 am. One commuter who travelled from Shitaladevi to Siddhivinayak Temple station in the morning noted on social media that the stations appeared mostly empty, likely because many were unaware of the service extension. The newly operational Phase 2A spans 9.77 km and features a tunnel built through the rocky terrain beneath the Mithi River. It includes six underground stations: Dharavi, Shitaladevi, Dadar West, Siddhivinayak, Worli, and Acharya Atre Chowk. This corridor aims to improve metro access to commercial hubs in Worli, Lower Parel, and Prabhadevi, as well as provide convenient connectivity to key religious and cultural spots like Siddhivinayak Temple, Mahim Dargah, Shitaladevi Temple, Shivaji Park, and Ravindra Natya Mandir. Fares for Phase 2A range from Rs 10 to Rs 40, while a full journey from JVLR Aarey to Acharya Atre Chowk will cost Rs 60. The MMRC has scheduled 244 services on the route daily, using eight trains. Travel time between BKC and Acharya Atre Chowk will be approximately 15–20 minutes, and a trip from JVLR Aarey to Acharya Atre Chowk will take around 36 minutes. The headway between trains is 6 minutes and 20 seconds.