MMRDA Plans Pit-Line at Vikhroli to Open Metro Line 6 Without Car Shed
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is preparing to commence operations on Mumbai Metro Line 6, connecting Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli, using an interim pit-line maintenance facility instead of waiting for a completed car shed.
According to MMRDA officials, an elevated pit line is being developed at the Vikhroli end of the corridor along the Eastern Express Highway. The setup will handle routine safety checks and maintenance of rakes, particularly for equipment located beneath the trains, enabling services to start while the main depot remains pending.
The 15.31-kilometre fully elevated corridor runs primarily along the median of the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), linking the Western Express Highway and Eastern Express Highway through Jogeshwari and Powai. The line features 13 stations and is designed to cut travel times between Andheri and the Eastern Express Highway by 30 to 45 minutes.
For its permanent car shed, the MMRDA has sought salt pan land in Kanjurmarg, a proposal currently pending approval before the Union cabinet ministry. The MMRDA requisitioned 22 hectares (54.36 acres) from Arthur Salt Works, prompting land adjustments with the Dharavi Redevelopment Project to maintain approved land allocations across Shepherd and Battiwala Salt Works.
The interim operational approach mirrors the strategy adopted for Metro Line 4, where services are also planned to begin using pit-line facilities prior to depot completion.
Metro Line 6 will also feature multi-corridor transit connections, providing interchange facilities with Metro Line 2A at Adarsh Nagar, Metro Line 7 at JVLR, and Metro Line 3 at Aarey Depot. An additional interchange with Metro Line 4 at Gandhi Nagar will open once that line is commissioned.
As part of the civil works, a 2.58-kilometre combined road flyover and Metro structure is also under construction between Swami Samarth Nagar and Mahakali in Andheri East on JVLR, built on shared single piers in coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
