
Mumbai Metro Line 9 trial runs this week, Phase 1 to be operational by end of 2025
According to officials, if all inspections and trial runs go as planned, the first phase of this Metro line is likely to open to the public by the end of this year.
The 13.5-km Mumbai Metro 9 corridor, which connects Dahisar (East) and Mira-Bhayander, is being built in two phases.
With construction on the entire stretch still in progress, MMRDA has planned to start operations on the completed stretch from Dahisar (East) to Kashigaon in its first phase.
Line 9 consists of eight stations: Dahisar, Pandurang Wadi, Miragaon, Kashigaon, Sai Baba Nagar, Meditiya Nagar, Shahid Bhagat Singh Garden, and Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium.
However, only the first four stations—Dahisar, Pandurang Wadi, Miragaon, and Kashigaon—will be operational in the initial phase.
Giving an update on the progress of Metro Line 9, an official said, '96.7 per cent of the work on the entire corridor is complete.'
Once operational, Metro Line 9, will connect Dahisar and Andheri. It will be integrated with Metro 7 (Dahisar East to Andheri East) and Metro 2A (Dahisar East to D N Nagar), allowing passengers to travel directly from Mira-Bhayander to Andheri using Metro.
Metro Line 9 was initially planned to be commissioned completely by October 2024, but construction delays have consequently pushed back its completion.
Local residents affected by the ongoing construction are facing significant traffic jams and have been requesting immediate relief.
In response, the MMRDA has decided to launch Metro services on the completed sections instead of waiting for the entire line to be finished.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Know Your City: How a freedom fighter played a crucial role in developing Mekhri Circle in Bengaluru
Written by Bhoomika Roy Bannerjee, Mehak Singh If you have driven past the Mekhri Circle in North Bengaluru, you have passed a name engraved not just into the roadways of the city but also into the history of Bangalore. The name Enayathullah Mehkri appears on signage, Google Maps, and even now in the Metro station currently under planning. But very few know the human behind the name—a freedom fighter, philanthropist, and quiet reformer. In 1937, the area was nothing more than a steep incline, where bullocks pulling stone-laden carts struggled to ascend. It wasn't the municipality or the monarchy that stepped in—it was Enayathulla Mehkri, a military contractor and freedom fighter recently released from jail. He personally funded and oversaw the levelling of that road, not for reward or recognition, but out of empathy for the animals and labourers. His maternal grandson Abid Mehkri said, 'He did it out of compassion for the bullocks—the 'beasts of burden'—as he used to call them. To help the needy was his cause.' This act of generosity, which he performed so quietly without any expectations, got noticed by none other than the then Maharaja of Mysore, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who was informed through his dewan Sir Humayun Mirza. The Maharaja offered him a sum of Rs 10,000 – a large amount for that period — as reimbursement on the grounds of persuading him to accept the money as a reward and that it was the duty of the government to level the road. However, Mehkri refused, saying, 'Let this be between me and God.' This act of kindness is what led to the naming of the then Enayathulla Mehkri Square, now popularly known as the Mehkri Circle, inaugurated by Lord John Hope, the 1st Baron Glendevon, in 1939. His family traces its roots back to Mehkar in Syria. The family came to India as advisors to the courts of Mughal and later Mysore rulers, serving under Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan, and eventually the Wodeyars. He was born in Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu, and was arrested during the freedom struggle and imprisoned in Vellore for nine months. He was later brought to Bengaluru, where he settled in the military quarters near the very area he would later help develop. This is where his work began—not just as a contractor but as a man devoted to the cause of the community. Despite having little formal education (he didn't complete his Class 10), he became known as a man of the people. 'He could have bought half of Bangalore,' Abid recalls his grandfather saying. 'But what use is that? My work was for the poor, he said.' During his time in jail, he had made significant contacts with freedom fighters like C Rajagopalachari and E V Ramasamy Naicker. Post-independence, he remained deeply engaged in civic issues. He was elected as a councillor in the Bangalore City Corporation for 16 years, also serving as the All India Congress Committee freedom fighter cells' only member from Karnataka, as well as the president of the Karnataka Freedom Fighters Association. Besides, he also served as the municipal commissioner of the cantonment area, influencing critical urban planning and civic works. One of Mehkri's most enduring roles was his service as an honorary general secretary of the Muslim Orphanage in Bengaluru for 17 years. Family stories highlight how he once left his own lunch untouched to attend to a call from the orphanage reporting that the children hadn't eaten. He ensured they were fed before he returned home to his cold meal. 'The left hand shouldn't know what the right hand is doing' was a principle that he lived by. He was also involved in helping the underprivileged buy land, supporting families in financial crisis, and paying school fees or electricity bills for those in need. His philanthropic actions were never documented publicly, but they remain vivid in the oral history passed down by the living of his family. Even though the name survives in road signs and articles, Abid Mehkri admits that the legacy is slowly fading away. 'My father said the name will remain, but the family may vanish. And it seems to be already happening,' he says. What was once the expansive estate of the Mehkri family in Miller Road, Benson Town—described as 'palace-like'—now stands as a relic of the past. The circle has undergone multiple renovations, underpasses and soon metro additions. Still, the plaque with Mehkri's name remains, less prominent than it once was. The family members themselves have recently attempted to repaint and re-establish the original name. In 2035, Mehkri Circle will mark 100 years since its naming. As the city grows ever larger, its people ought to pause to remember the ones who laid its foundation. (Bhoomika Roy Bannerjee and Mehak Singh are interns with the Indian Express)


Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Suicide bid at Central stn stalls Metro services for 1 hour
Kolkata: Metro services on the North-South (Blue) line were disrupted for an hour on Saturday following a suicide bid at Central station. Though truncated services were operated, several commuters were hassled as no trains were available in the Maidan-Girish Park section until 12.55 pm. Around 11.55 am, a man jumped before a Dakshineswar-bound train at the Central station, a Metro Railway spokesperson said. The third rail, which supplies electricity to the rakes, was switched off to rescue the man from the tracks and give him medical aid. "Truncated services were run between Maidan and New Garia (Kavi Subhas) stations and between Girish Park and Dakshineswar stations for an hour," the Metro official said. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Cops from Bowbazar PS were called in. The man reportedly survived. Normal services on the entire New Garia-Dakshineswar stretch resumed from 12.55 pm. Even as the rush hour was just ending and it was a Saturday, several commuters were inconvenienced with no services being provided from either the northern or the southern terminals to the central business district. "As trains were going up to Maidan, I decided to avail the Metro and take a bus to my workplace at Chandni Chowk. Fortunately, I managed to board a crowded bus even as I was late for work by an hour," Abhirup Das, an executive, said. tnn


Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
26 junior engineers with Pimpri Chinchwad civic body issued notices for delay in pothole repairs
Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has issued show cause notices to 19 junior engineers for failing to address pothole complaints within the stipulated time and another seven junior engineers for not adhering to the standard operating procedure, civic officials told TOI on Friday. Under the SOP for the 'PCMC Pothole Management' application that was launched last month, junior engineers are required to repair the reported potholes within eight days and upload photos of the completed work in the system, which are visible to the complainants. Makarand Nikam, city engineer with PCMC, said, "The junior engineers were expected to regularly check complaints received via the application and repair the potholes in time, but many of them failed. Some did not follow SOP; hence we have served show cause notices on them." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune The civic body has been criticised for the increasing number of pothole-related complaints and the poor condition of roads. As per the available data, as many as 1,875 potholes had been identified or reported to PCMC till July 7, of which 1,464 have already been filled, while work on the remaining ones is under way. The data indicates that the highest number of complaints have been reported from E ward, which includes areas such as Moshi, Charholi, and parts of Bhosari. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Forget Furosemide, Use This Household Item To Help Drain Edema Fluid WellnessGuide Learn more Undo Sanjeevan Sangle, president of Chikhali Moshi Pimpri Chinchwad Cooperative Housing Society Federation, said, "The condition of several roads like the one connecting Chikhali to Nevale Vasti is worst. The contractors have used poor quality materials and people are left to suffer. " The state of Bhujbal Chowk-Vishal Nagar BRT road has worsened and the civic authorities do not seem to be serious about doing repair works, said a resident of Wakad. PCMC officials said the pothole count was higher this year as pre-monsoon repair work was hampered by the early arrival of rain. "Every year, the target is set to fill all identified potholes before May 31, but the schedule was disturbed this time," an official said, adding that they are fixing all the reported potholes on priority to avoid inconvenience to people. The civic body has written to the Pune Metro authorities following several complaints about the poor condition of the service road along the old Pune-Mumbai highway between Nigdi and Chinchwad railway station, where work for the extension of the Metro line from the PCMC Metro station to Nigdi is currently on. Bapusaheb Gaikwad, joint city engineer, said the service road has been handed over to the Metro authorities for the duration of their construction work, and they are responsible for its upkeep. "The stretch from Tilak Chowk to Khandoba Mal Chowk as well as the segment between Kalbhor Nagar subway and Chinchwad Station are in an extremely poor condition. We have informed Metro officials that PCMC has received several complaints from residents and they must carry out urgent repairs," Gaikwad said, adding resident groups and political parties have threatened to launch a protest if repairs are not undertaken promptly. Hemant Sonawane, executive director (administration and public relations) at Maha Metro, told TOI, "We have received the letter from PCMC and we will carry out the repair work."