MUMBAI: Work on the depot at Kanjurmarg for Metro 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar in Andheri-West to Vikhroli) is expected to begin in a few weeks as Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Wednesday appointed a contractor who won the bid for the project.
“The executive committee has approved the appointment of Sam India Buildwell for the Kanjurmarg Line 6 depot at a cost of Rs 509 crore,” an MMRDA official said. A letter of acceptance will be issued to the contractor in a few days after the finalization of the minutes of the necessary meeting. The deadline for the construction of the depot is 30 months.
Work at the depot site is scheduled to commence between May and June. The plot spans an area of 15 hectares and will serve as a critical hub for Line 6 operations. Construction activity at the depot will include building a boundary wall, earthwork filling, construction of a workshop, inspection bay, stabling lines, automatic washing plant, and an operations and control centre (OCC). The OCC will serve as the main location from which all aspects of the system will be controlled and operational decisions made regarding operations. The facility will also serve as the primary, but not necessarily exclusive, point of coordination for all operational decisions affecting services.The depot infrastructure has been planned to accommodate one train set of eight cars each, initially. As per the detailed project report (DPR), initially, stabling lines will be made for 11 rakes. However, provisions have been made for future expansion, with plans to accommodate up to 13 rakes by 2031. MMRDA has already floated tenders for the procurement of items such as rakes, communication-based train control (CBTC), telecom systems, platform screen doors, and depot machinery.
The 16km elevated line will traverse Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), connecting Vikhroli to Lokhandwala and intersecting above railway tracks on Central Railway and Western Railway. “We have been waiting for Line 6 depot work to start. As a daily commuter, I’m excited to see progress towards improving connectivity through this Metro line and easing congestion. But without the depot, no operations are possible,” said a JVLR resident. ““With the appointment of the contractor, it’s reassuring to know that steps are being taken to ensure timely completion.”
The Third Mumbai largely consists of the area that falls under the recently opened Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) influence zone.
