The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has emerged as the lowest bidder to operate and maintain the Mumbai Metro Line-3 from Aarey to Cuffe Parade.
Mumbai’s Metro Line-3 is being built by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and will start operating in sections from the end of this year, according to a statement by DMRC.
The Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro Line-3, also known as Aqua Line will be the first underground metro line in Mumbai and also one of the longest underground continuous stretches in India.
The Mumbai Metro contract’s scope includes operation and safety management for Line-3, according to the statement.
Revenue collection involves managing ticket sales, maintaining metro assets, performing minor civil repairs, training staff, organising competency, and providing marketing and sales assistance.
The employer must provide staff training and organise competencies such as housekeeping, security, call centre, horticulture, and parking for the management of contracts, according to the DMRC statement. The contract will be valid for 10 years.
DMRC outbid Keolis, a reputed public transport operator from France with experience functioning in various cities across the world.
The Mumbai Metro Line-3 spans approximately 33.5 km, from Colaba (Cuffe Parade) in the extreme south of the city through Bandra, ending within the Special Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) in the north-central.
The Aqua Line connects Mumbai’s most congested regions and key financial hubs such as Nariman Point, Bandra-Kurla-Complex (BKC), Fort, Worli, Lower Parel and Goregaon.
The first phase of the project between BKC and SEEPZ is expected to be ready and open to the public by December this year.
Delhi Metro — International Projects
The Delhi Metro’s consulting business is expanding globally. It is engaged in building Mumbai and Patna metros in India, and acting as a consultant for other Indian metros.
Earlier, the Delhi Metro qualified in the pre-bid process for the Tel Aviv Metro Project in Israel.
In addition, the DMRC is currently bidding on foreign metro projects in Alexandria, Egypt, Ho Chi Minh City, Bahrain, Vietnam, and Mauritius. The DMRC is presently working as a general consultant on the Dhaka Metro project in Bangladesh.
The Delhi Metro, having expertise in the operation and management of the largest metro in the Indian subcontinent in NCR, can provide adequate assistance to the Mumbai Metro corridor.