Aqua Line ridership up nearly 3x to 156.4k on Day 1 of SoBo operations

With the Aqua Line now fully open, Mumbaikars working in the commercial hubs of south Mumbai, such as Nariman Point and Fort, have a new commuting option

Mumbai: Ridership on Metro 3 (Aqua Line) nearly tripled to 146,087 as of 9 pm on Thursday, when the final phase of the underground corridor—from Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli to Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai—was opened to the public. With this, the entire 33.5-km line, from Aarey-JVLR to Cuffe Parade, is now fully operational.

Mumbai, India - Oct. 9, 2025: Commuters traveling on first day of Metro 3 Aqua Line which is fully operational from Cuffe Parade to Aarey JVLR at CSMT station in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, October 9, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

Until Wednesday, when the line was operational only from Aarey-JVLR to Acharya Atre Chowk, the average daily ridership was 52,500, according to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL). After the final stretch was thrown open on Thursday, taking the metro line into the heart of south Mumbai, ridership had already touched 97,846 by 6 pm. This means over 48,000 people took the line between 6 pm and 9 pm, the evening rush hours. The metro operates from 5.55 am to 10.30 pm daily.

With the Aqua Line now fully open, Mumbaikars working in the commercial hubs of south Mumbai, such as Nariman Point and Fort, have a new commuting option. On Thursday, several people were seen opting for the air-conditioned metro from the Vidhan Bhavan, CSMT, and Churchgate stations over public buses and share taxis.

During the evening peak hours, passenger turnout was exceptionally high at Vidhan Bhawan station, according to MMRCL officials. “To ensure smooth crowd movement and maintain safety, one of the seven entry gates at a station was temporarily closed for approximately 10 minutes. The situation was promptly managed by our on-ground staff and security teams,” an official said.

The Cuffe Parade-CSMT stretch of the line was an instant hit. Hordes of commuters flocked to the stations on this route to get a quick, air-conditioned, plush ride to the Churchgate and CSMT suburban railway stations, free from the hassle of waiting for a bus, jostling standing crowds, and manoeuvring through traffic.

“The metro has the potential to reduce travel time from one and a half hours to 30 minutes,” said Neha Nishan, a 23-year-old Cuffe Parade resident whose office is near CSMT. “Usually, I take the bus, which involves waiting for the bus, stopping at all stations, getting stuck in traffic, and standing the entire way. If this works, it would be the best.”

Going in the opposite direction, from Cuffe Parade to CSMT, was Ravindra Kanojia, 52. “This is quicker, smoother, more convenient, and costs around the same,” he said.

Not all passengers were daily commuters to south Mumbai. Some, like Rajendra Jangid, 30, were joyriders keen to experience the new line. “Location-wise, the metro is super convenient for me, as it is near my home in Santacruz and my workplace in Byculla, but it is far more expensive than the train, so I doubt I’ll use it frequently. A train pass costs ₹300 a month, but this (metro) ride is ₹100 for a round trip. If there is a subsidised pass, I might consider switching my mode of travel. Today, however, I’m just in it for the experience,” said Jangid.

The Churchgate and CSMT metro stations remained buzzing all day, particularly during office hours. Even if the metro ride—around ₹8 costlier one-way compared to trains—may not become a daily affair, many were eager to try it out.

The metro line also appears to have discouraged people living in the suburbs from driving down to work in south Mumbai, as the parking lot of the Aarey-JVLR metro station was packed during the day.

Teething issues

Despite the enthusiastic turnout, several teething troubles affected Day 1 operations. The absence of mobile network coverage and working WiFi inside the underground stations left most passengers unable to use ticket machines or make online payments.

Additionally, newly opened stations were not yet visible on the ticketing app, forcing passengers to rely on cash-based ticket counters, which led to long queues at some stations. In a few locations, the counter systems also crashed.

Some commuters were seen scanning QR codes at underground ticket counters, then heading above ground to get mobile network access to complete their payments, before returning underground to confirm the transaction and collect their tickets.

At CSMT station around 6:40 pm, chaos ensued when nearly 300 people were seen queuing behind the exit gates. Many ran off without punching out, and staff were unable to stop them.

Several cosmetic enhancements outside metro stations created additional problems. For instance, white cloths stretched across road dividers outside Acharya Atre Chowk and Science Centre stations caused obstructions for pedestrians, especially since only a few entry/exit gates were functional.

The lack of share cabs outside the Grant Road, Kalbadevi and Girgaon metro stations is a pain point, unlike at nearby suburban railway stations. Last-mile connectivity to areas such as Zaveri Bazaar, Dawa Bazaar, C P Tank, Bhuleshwar and Pydhonie remains to be solved.

For example, the Girgaon metro station, located on Jagannath Shankar Sheth Road, lies between Charni Road railway station and Bhuleshwar. Walking to Bhuleshwar takes as much time as using road-based transport.

Another point of concern for residents in south Mumbai, such as Sameer Khan at Grant Road, was incomplete road works and diversions that are yet to be restored. At Grant Road and Girgaon, MMRC is yet to restore the roads that were excavated to construct the metro stations. Water leakage was also observed at platform level at both Grant Road and Bandra Kurla Complex stations.