By Auto Desk,News18

Copyright news18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the third phase of Mumbai Metro-3 from Worli to Cuffe Parade on September 30. Once operational, the entire 33.5-km Aqua Line connecting Aarey to Colaba will be fully functional and will offer faster, seamless travel across the city. Mumbai Metro-3, the city’s first fully underground corridor, has been developed in multiple phases over the past year.
Ahead of the phase three launch, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) shared an exclusive glimpse of the crossover facility at Cuffe Parade Metro Station on X. The image highlights the diamond-shaped track arrangement and the Rigid Overhead Catenary System (ROCS), a type of overhead electrical system that uses a rigid conductor rail to supply power to trains.
The caption shared along with the photo read, “Witness the unseen! An exclusive glimpse of the crossover facility at Cuffe Parade Metro Station – the epicenter of seamless metro movement.”
See The Image Here

? Witness the unseen!
An exclusive glimpse of the crossover facility at Cuffe Parade Metro Station – the epicenter of seamless metro movement ⚡??
? Farha Irani#MumbaiMetro #HiddenEngineering #CuffeParade #BehindTheScenes pic.twitter.com/Zyq5SkiQNi
— MumbaiMetro3 (@MumbaiMetro3) September 17, 2025

A metro crossover facility allows trains to switch tracks between up and down lines to provide operational flexibility and emergency management. The diamond-shaped crossover is built in the Cuffe Parade section which makes it a key element of Metro-3’s smooth operations.
Travel Benefits
With the inauguration of the 10.99-km Worli–Cuffe Parade stretch, commuters can now travel from Aarey to Colaba in just one hour. The specific stretch from Worli to Cuffe Parade will take about 15 minutes. Metro-3 has 27 stations, 26 of which are underground and one at grade that will link major business hubs including BKC, Worli, Dadar and SEEPZ tech park. It also provides easy access to the airport.
Phase-Wise Development
Phase 1 (Aarey Colony to BKC): 12.69 km, Rs 14,120 crore, inaugurated October 7, 2024.
Phase 2 (BKC to Worli): 9.8 km, Rs 9,500–10,000 crore, inaugurated May 9, 2025.
Phase 3 (Worli to Cuffe Parade): 10.99 km, Rs 9,785 crore, inauguration September 30, 2025.
New Timings And Operations
Mumbai Metro 3, the city’s Aqua Line, has recently announced revised service timings that began from September 15. The first train from Aarey JVLR and Acharya Atre Chowk now departs at 5.55 AM while the last train leaves at 10.30 PM.

Phase 1 initially ran with 8-9 rakes that offered 96 round trips daily between Aarey and BKC, while Phase 2 increased services to 244 daily trips using 8 trains. Each eight-coach train can carry up to 2,500 passengers, with a maximum speed of 85 km/h and an average speed of 35 km/h.
Prices And Ticket Booking
The fares on Metro-3 vary by distance. Check out the prices here:
Phase 1 (Aarey–BKC): Rs 10–50
Phase 2 extension (Aarey-Acharya Atre): up to Rs 60
Full corridor (Aarey–Colaba): Rs 70
Tickets can be booked through station counters, ticket vending machines, the MetroConnect3 app, QR-based tickets, RuPay National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) or Mumbai 1 cards.
Stations For Each Phase Of Mumbai Metro-3
Each phase of Mumbai Metro-3 features strategically located stations to connect major business hubs, residential areas and transport nodes across the city. The stations for each phase are as follows:
Phase 1 (Aarey Colony to BKC): BKC, Bandra Colony, Santacruz, CSMIA T1, Sahar Road, CSMIA T2, Marol Naka, Andheri, SEEPZ, Aarey JVLR (at grade)
Phase 2 (BKC to Worli): Dharavi, Shitaladevi Temple, Dadar, Siddhivinayak Temple, Worli, Acharya Atre Chowk
Phase 3 (Worli to Cuffe Parade): Science Museum, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai Central, Grant Road, Girgaon, Kalbadevi, CSMT, Hutatma Chowk, Churchgate, Vidhan Bhavan, Cuffe Parade
Impact On Daily Commute
Phase 1 of Mumbai Metro-3 has already made a noticeable difference as it cuts down around 6.5 lakh car trips every day. Phase 2A also saw strong demand that attracted over 32,000 passengers within just two days of its launch.
Travel across the city has become much faster. The journey from BKC to Worli now takes only 13–15 minutes by metro, compared to 45–60 minutes by road. Similarly, Andheri to Cuffe Parade can be covered in 45–50 minutes instead of the earlier 90–120 minutes. Even the trip from CSIA T2 to BKC is now just 10–12 minutes by metro compared to 30–45 minutes by taxi in traffic.
When Can Mumbaikars Travel The Third Stretch Of Metro-3?
Officials from the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) have confirmed that trial runs on the Worli–Cuffe Parade stretch have been successfully completed and all necessary safety approvals are in place, Free Press Journal reported.
Once this 10.99-km section is inaugurated, commuters will be able to travel smoothly from Aarey to Colaba.