Trials begin on Metro 9 corridor from Dahisar to Mira-Bhayander

Trial runs on the 13.6km Metro 9 corridorbetween Dahisar and Mira-Bhayander, Thane district's first Metro corridor, began on Wednesday in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis. The CM, along with deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, also took a short ride during the trial.With completion of 96% of the civil work and 75% of system integration,MMRDAis targeting commissioning of a 4.4km stretch between Dahisar and Kashigaon by the year-end. It has now begun dynamic trials on the up and down lines, which will include load testing, signalling and traction checks, as well as emergency preparedness drills. "This line will play a key role in decongesting traffic on Western Express Highway. For Mira-Bhayander residents, it will be a game changer. We are committed to opening 50km of Metro routes this year, 62km next year, and another 60km the year after that," Fadnavis said.Once operational, the Metro 9 line will connect 10 stations, with Dahisar, Pandurang Wadi, Miragaon and Kashigaon likely to be opened first. The corridor will be integrated with Metro 2A (Dahisar-DN Nagar) and eventually provide seamless access to the airport via Metros 7 and 7A. It will also offer connectivity to the upcoming Metro 10 (Gaimukh-Shivaji Chowk) and Metro 13 (Vasai-Virar) corridors. Shinde said the extension towards Virar will ensure direct Metro connectivity for Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts. tnn