Line 3 (Mumbai Metro)

Mumbai Metro (Line 3)
Legend
Cuffe Parade Vidhan Bhavan Churchgate (Connects to Western Line) Hutatma Chowk Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Connects to Central and Harbour lines) Kalbadevi Girgaon Grant Road (Connects to Western Line) Mumbai Central (Connects to Western Line) Mahalaxmi (Connects to Western Line) Mumbai Suburban Railway (Western Line) Nehru Science Centre Acharya Atrey Chowk Worli Siddhivinayak Temple Dadar (Connects to Central and Western lines) Shitladevi Dharavi Mumbai Suburban Railway (Western Line) Mithi River Bandra-Kurla Complex (Connects to Mumbai Metro (Line 2) (planned)) Vidyanagari Santacruz (Connects to Western and Harbour lines) CSIA T1 Sahar Road (GVK Sky City) CSIA T2 Marol Naka (Connects to Mumbai Metro (Line 3) (planned)) MIDC SEEPZ Aarey Milk Colony Aarey Depot

Line 3 of the Mumbai Metro, also referred to as the Colaba–Bandra-SEEPZ line, is a part of the metro system for the city of Mumbai, India that is currently in its tendering stage (as of January 2015).^[2] When completed, the 33.5-km long line will be the first fully underground metro line in Mumbai, and in India.^[3] The metro line will connect Cuffe Parade business district in the extreme south of the city to SEEPZ in the north-central^[4] with 26 underground and one at-grade station.^[5] The track width is standard gauge. The cost of this corridor is estimated at 23136 crore (US$3.7 billion).^[6][7] Line 3 is expected to reduce road congestion, besides reducing the load on the Western Line between Bandra and Churchgate.^[8]

The project will be implemented by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL). The line starts at Cuffe Parade, will run through Nariman Point, Churchgate, CST, Girgam, Worli, Mahim, Kalina University, Dadar, Bandra, Bandra-Kurla Complex, past the domestic and international terminals of Mumbai Airport, through Andheri MIDC and terminates at SEEPZ.^[8][9]

History

A 20 km metro line from Colaba to Bandra was announced in January 2004, as part of a master plan unveiled by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The plan encompassed a total of 146 kilometres (91 mi) of track, of which 32 kilometres (20 mi) was proposed to be underground. The MMRDA unveiled plans for an extended Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ metro line in 2011. According to its earlier plans, a 20-km metro line from Colaba to Bandra was to be constructed, running underground for 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Colaba to Mahalaxmi, and then on an elevated track from Mahalaxmi to Bandra. The MMRDA decided to extend the line to the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The 33.5-kilometre (20.8 mi) Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ line was estimated to cost 21000 crore (US$3.3 billion),^[10] and will be the city's first fully underground metro line. It will have 27 stations^[11] at Nariman Point, BKC, MIDC, SEEPZ, and elsewhere.^[12] According the MMRDA, an underground metro will minimise land acquisition and disturbance to traffic during construction compared to an elevated metro.^[13]

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), registered under provisions of Company Act, 1956, was constituted as a fully owned company of the MMRDA on 30 April 2008, as per state government directives.^[14]

On 27 February 2012, the Central Government gave in-principle approval to the plan for Line 3. The project will be financed by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the state government, the central government, and other sources.^[15] In April 2012, the MMRDA announced plans to grant the MMRC increased management autonomy, in an effort to enhance the project's operational efficiency.^[16]

In early 2012, the MMRDA conducted talks with officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) to finance or construct the line's three stations at the airport and GVK SkyCity, a proposed nearby commercial development.^[10][17] Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) agreed to bear the cost of constructing the three stations, which is expected to total 777 crore. According to MIAL's CEO, R.K. Jain, MIAL is willing to contribute to the metro's construction because of the potential increase in passenger convenience.^[18] MIAL estimated the cost of developing the metro lines in the airport as 518 crore.^[17]

Line 3 funding pattern

Source[9]	Amount (crores)	Share (%)
Equity by Centre	2,403	10.4
Equity by MMRC and State	2,403	10.4
Sub debt by Centre	1,025	4.4
Sub debt by State	1,615	7
Property development and impact fee	1,000	4.3
Stakeholder contribution (MIAL)	777	3.4
ASIDE funding / MMRDA grant	679	2.9
JICA loan	13,235	57.2
Total	23,136	100

In August 2012, the Urban Development Ministry rejected the Planning Commission's proposal to implement Line 3 in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode, having found the mode unsatisfactory for the Delhi Airport Metro Express. The ministry instead proposed a funding pattern with a ratio of 20:80 between the Centre and the State. Of the State equity, 45% was proposed to be through a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).^[19] On 30 May 2013, following a meeting between the prime ministers of India and Japan in Tokyo, the Japanese state agreed to lend ¥71 billion (4,553 crore) in a soft loan at an interest rate of 1.44% for the construction of Line 3.^[20][21] The Union Cabinet granted clearance to Line 3 on 27 June 2013.^[22][23] The Cabinet also decide to convert Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), the existing state-level special purpose vehicle formed to implement metro projects, into a joint venture company of the state and central governments with equity participation.^[24]

JICA will provide financial assistance in the form of a soft loan amounting to 13235 crore (US$2.1 billion) for the 23136 crore (US$3.7 billion) project.^[3][25] JICA will fund 57.2% of the equity.^[9] The other finance will come from the central and state equity of 10.4% each, sub-debt by the central government (4.4%), sub-debt by the state (7%), property development and impact fee (4.3%), stakeholder contribution from the Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (3.4%) and MMRDA grant/aside funding (2.9%).^[26]

The MMRC's board consists of five members each from state and central governments.^[8] The MMRDA presented their metro line plan to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on 13 February 2014.^[27] Underground utilities will have to shifted to construct the line, as it is completely underground.^[28]

Bidders for the work on tunnels and stations were to submit their bids by 30 October 2013.^[29][30] On 31 January 2014, the bid document was modified and the annual turnover requirement was reduced to "average annual construction turnover of not less than USD 175 million defined as billing for civil infrastructure work completed or in progress over the last five years ending on March 2013". Sanjay Sethi, managing director of MMRC, stated, "The annual turnover requirement must have been set with the idea of attracting specific companies to the project. However, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) felt that consortia or joint ventures are a combination of management contractors and construction contractors. In all Metro projects, the annual turnover is the starting point for bidding based on which we should not restrict applications. The issue was also raised by several potential bidders."^[4][31] The last date for the submission of pre-qualification bids was extended to 10 March 2014.^[32] Fourteen pre-qualification bids were received for the design and construction of underground stations and tunnels for Line 3. The 14 bidders were: Afcon-KMB, CEC-ITD Cementation India-TPL, CTCEC-Pan India Infrastructures Pvt Ltd, Dogus-Soma Constructions, IL&FS-CR256 (China Railway), JKumar-CRTG, Larsen & Toubro-STEC, Mosmetrostory-Hindustan Construction Company, OHL-SK Engineering & Construction, Pratibha-GDYT Consortium, Sacyr-CMC-Essar, Salin Impreglio-Gammon, Strabag-AG-Patel Engineering and Unity Infrastructure-IVRCL-CTG.^{[33][34][35][36]}

Line 3 was approved by the state cabinet on 26 February 2014.^[37]

The foundation stone for the project was laid by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in a bhoomi pujan ceremony at Andheri on 26 August 2014, in the presence of Union Urban Development minister Venkaiah Naidu.^[38][39] The move was described by the media as a cosmetic gesture, as the developers of the project had not yet been decided and actual construction was expected to begin only by December 2014.^[40][41] The date of the ceremony was a few days before the code of conduct for the 2014 State Assembly elections would come into force, which would prohibit the ruling Congress-NCP government from politicising the ceremony.^[41][42] Some citizens protested against the State government at the ground breaking site. They protested the slow implementation and cost escalation of the Mumbai Metro project.^[43]

Line 3 is being implemented through the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model.^[35] The original deadline for the project was 2016, but it is currently expected to be completed in 2020.^[20] The contract is likely to be awarded before December 2014, so that work can start thereafter.^[38][39]

Stations

Infrastructure

The car yard, where metro coaches will be parked, is proposed to be built opposite SEEPZ on Aarey Colony land.^[9] Passenger interchange facilities will be provided at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Central Line); Churchgate, Mumbai Central and Mahalaxmi (Western Line), Marol Naka (Metro Line 1), Bandra-Kurla Complex (Metro Line 2) and Mahalaxmi (Mumbai Monorail).^[26]

Underground construction will be carried out at an average depth of 15 to 25 meters.^[5][45] The tunnels will be created using a tunnel boring machine.^[5] The MMRDA plans to build 5 stations on the line — Cuffe Parade, Bandra, Kalina, MIDC and SEEPZ — using the cut-and-cover method. In this method, the ground is dug, the entire station constructed, and finally the top is covered.^[27] Some stations may be constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling method, depending on circumstances.^[5]

Power

MMRDA joint project director Dilip Kawathkar stated that AC power was chosen for Line 3 "after a proper study by a team of experts" which found that the AC model was "a better option". Experts believe that the decision to use AC will escalate the project cost by 15%, since more digging is required for the rail to work on AC.^[46]

References