Just a month after the first phase of Mumbai Metro 3 opened to the public, ridership has already crossed the 600,000 mark, with an average daily ridership of 20,000 passengers, according to Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL). 

This underground line, connecting Aarey JVLR to Bandra Kurla Complex, inaugurated by the Prime Minister on October 5 and operational since October 7, recorded 612,913 passengers to November 5.

However, it is still a fair way off the anticipated numbers, said reports. Before the metro line became operational, it was expected to record a daily footfall of 4,00,000 passengers.  But now, once the entire 33.5-km Metro 3 corridor is complete, daily ridership is expected to rise to 1.3 million.

Notably, the highest single-day ridership so far was on October 13, the first Sunday of commercial operations, with 27,108 passengers. The Bandra Kurla Complex-Marol Naka and SEEPZ-Marol Naka segments are the most popular, making Marol Naka the busiest station on the line. The Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar line, which intersects Metro 3 at Marol Naka, has also seen a daily increase of around 4,000 riders. 

• Currently, MMRC operates nine trains on the Aqua Line with a 7.5-minute interval, which will be reduced to 6.4 minutes if demand grows.

• Ticket sales are now live on the MMRC website, although the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is expected to roll out in December.

• MMRC is also leasing retail spaces across the 10 operational stations. Bids have been received, and shops are expected in the next few months.