Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will commence energising the overhead equipment (OHE) network on a 5.6km stretch of Metro Line 2B—between Mandale and Diamond Garden—from April 8.
This is the first phase of the 23.6km elevated corridor, which is now being opened in segments due to repeated delays. Officials confirmed that energisation work at the Mandale depot’s test track was already completed, and the first trainset was rolled out. “This step is crucial to initiate trial runs and commissioning activities. We aim to operationalise the Mandale-Diamond Garden stretch before the end of this year,” said an MMRDA official.
Metro Line 2B, connecting D N Nagar in the west and Mandale in the east via Bandra, Kurla and Chembur, is part of the larger Metro Line 2 corridor (along with Line 2A). It is expected to carry over 10 lakh commuters daily upon full commissioning and will ease arterial road congestion.
MMRDA has since taken a phased implementation route, with the Mandale-Diamond Garden segment being fast-tracked. The corridor will operate on a 25kV AC OHE system, in line with other Metro lines in the city.
The Mandale depot is a key component of Mumbai Metro’s Line 2B. The depot is being constructed on a 31.4-hectare plot of land, primarily govt-owned, in Mandale, Mankhurd. It features a double-decker structure to maximise space, with the capacity to stable up to 72 Metro trains.