In a significant boost to infrastructure development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday flagged off trial runs of two Metro lines in Mumbai.
After a gap of nearly seven years, Mumbai is getting two operational Metro lines.
As of now, Mumbai only has the single East-West 11.40 kilometres Mumbai Metro One line from Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, which was inaugurated in June, 2014.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will begin testing on the Yellow Line 2A and Red Line 7 wherein oscillation trials of a prototype 6-car train will be run at various speeds.
The commissioning of both the lines is planned in two phases, the first phase of around 20 kilometres from Charkop Depot to Dahanukarwadi to Aarey by September 2021 and balance of the line by January 2022.
Even as the programme was flagged off there were protests near the venue by BJP workers led by MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar.
A galaxy of Maha Vikas Aghadi functionaries including Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat of Congress, Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde and Industries Minister Subhash Desai, both of Shiv Sena, Minority Affairs Minister and NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik, Ports Minister Aslam Shakh, Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray and Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar were present.
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