Mumbai’s Aqua Line (Metro 3), the city’s only underground metro corridor connecting Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) to Aarey Colony, has faced disappointing ridership since its partial launch on October 7, 2024. From October 7, 2024, to February 20, 2025, the metro saw just 2.66 million passengers, which translates to an average of fewer than 20,000 passengers daily. This is a stark contrast to the projected daily ridership of 400,000, reflecting a significant shortfall in passenger numbers.
Aqua Line Struggles with Low Ridership After Launch
Inaugurated on October 5, 2024, the Aqua Line was expected to become a crucial transport link in Mumbai. However, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) reported that, over 136 days, the 12.44 km stretch between Aarey and BKC registered only 29,162 trips (58,324 one-way services). With an average of just 91 passengers per trip, the metro is operating well below its capacity. Despite each train having the capacity for 2,500 passengers, ridership remains low due to the limited number of trains—only nine, running at a 7.5-minute frequency.
The service operates from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm on weekdays and from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm on weekends. While there is an uptick in ridership during rush hours, passenger numbers are sparse throughout the day. MMRC officials attributed the low turnout to the partial operation of the corridor and are hopeful that ridership will increase once the entire corridor is operational by June 2025.
Optimism for Aqua Line’s Future as Next Section Nears Completion
The Aqua Line is part of the 33.5 km Aarey–BKC–Cuffe Parade corridor, being completed in phases. The next section, extending to Acharya Atre Chowk, is expected to open soon. Despite the low ridership, the MMRC highlights the metro’s punctuality rate of 99.60%, and it remains optimistic about improving connectivity and boosting passenger numbers in the future.
