News Brief
Mumbai Metro Line 3’s Final Phase To Open On 8 October, Marking Completion Of City’s First Underground Corridor
Once operational, the journey from Cuffe Parade to the Domestic Airport is expected to take just 45 minutes.
Mumbai will finally see the inauguration of the final stretch of Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line) on 8 October 2025, according to a report by News18.
The last phase, running from Science Museum to Cuffe Parade, completes the city’s first fully underground metro line, enabling seamless travel from Colaba to Aarey.
The Aqua Line’s rollout began in October 2024 with services from Aarey to BKC, followed by an extension to Acharya Atre Chowk earlier this year.
The newly opened section adds 11 underground stations including Mumbai Central, Girgaon, CSMT, Hutatma Chowk, and Churchgate, connecting South Mumbai’s business hubs, residential pockets, and heritage precincts.
Once operational, the journey from Cuffe Parade to the Domestic Airport is expected to take just 45 minutes.
Developed at a cost of Rs 37,276 crore, the 33.5 km corridor features 26 underground stations and one at grade.
Construction began in 2017 and involved over 15,000 workers, with support from JICA and the Government of India.
Engineers completed 54.5 km of tunnelling, at one stage deploying 17 tunnel boring machines simultaneously, the largest such operation in India.
Sensitive work was carried out near heritage sites like Hutatma Chowk and CSMT to preserve architectural integrity.
Delays stretched the project to more than eight years due to complex geology, monsoon disruptions, and litigation over environmental and heritage concerns.
