Mumbai Metro Lines 7 and 2A will part ways soon. While a train departing from Gundavli will make its way to Mira Road, train services from DN Nagar, Andheri West, will terminate at a common ticketed station interchange in Dahisar East. Also, the Red Line 7 depot will remain at Charkop (22 rakes), while that of Line 2 will be shifted to Mandale (72 rakes).
For the first time, Mumbai’s Metro network is operating simultaneously at both ends of the city and is abuzz with “preparation trials” at the city’s east and west corridors at the same time. This also means the Red Line 7 and Yellow Line 2A are being readied to separate ways for their respective growth.
While the Red Line 7 depot will remain at Charkop (22 rakes), that of Line 2A and B will be shifted to Mandale (72 rakes). These depots are critical infrastructure for the expansion of the Metro network. Without sufficient stabling and maintenance capacity, train operations cannot be sustained or scaled. While the Mandale facility, especially, is being built as a state-of-the-art multi-level facility, reflecting the scale of investment needed for a modern Metro system, the Charkop one is smaller and is being constructed using available land to keep operations running while larger sites are prepared. Together, they support the synchronised push from both the eastern and western ends of the city.
A Metro train zooms past traffic on WEH in Mira Road East on May 14. Pic/Satej Shinde
New synchronicity
With integration trials on the Red Line (7/9) at the Mira Road end and Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) approvals on the Yellow Line (2B) at Mankhurd-Chembur end, the two Metro lines at either end of the city are setting the stage for operational readiness. This means the expanding network is being synchronised on two distinct urban fronts: one surging ahead in the western suburbs, and the other tightening bolts in the eastern belt.
Together, these efforts will soon bridge the city with a seamless east-west Metro link that passes through its most vital commercial and residential zones, including Chembur, Kurla, Bandra Kurla Complex, the airport to Kashimira and beyond. The corridor, which currently runs from Dahisar East to Gundavli, is extending northward toward Mira Road till Kashimira, where the first phase of the Mira-Bhayandar extension is taking shape rapidly. At the southern end in the western suburbs, the Red Line 7 will soon dip underground near the airport, connecting with the under-construction tunnel network that links to the domestic and international terminals, integrating its station next to Aqua Line 3.
At the northern end in the eastern suburbs, the Yellow Line (2B) — stretching from Mandale to Diamond Garden in Chembur is approaching its final phase of readiness. CRS approvals and system trials have been completed, and the section is expected to open by the end of the month.
Beyond Mankhurd, the Mandale depot is ready and will serve as the operations and maintenance hub for the line. Once operational, Lines 2A and 2B will start from Mandale near Mankhurd to Dahisar in the west. The common Dahisar East station will further connect to Red Line 7, enabling one to travel to Mira Road and beyond.
32 hectares
Area of plot where Line 2 depot will be built
Mandale depot
Location: Situated in the eastern suburbs in Mankhurd/Mandale on land owned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Spread over approximately 32 hectares, it has been designed as a double-deck structure (ground + one floor) to maximise land use.
Capacity: It has been built to house up to 72 rakes (train-sets), making it one of the largest Metro depots in Mumbai.
Features: Technical & service buildings, washing and inspection pits, stabling lines (lines where trains are parked when not in service). A three-storey, 21-metre-high dedicated simulator building for driver/operator training with an approximate built-up area of 3,278.66 sq m.
Role in Metro network: Designated to serve the east–west corridor, specifically the entire Line 2 and supporting other lines.
Charkop depot
Location: The Malwani, Malad West area. The site covers about 19.59 hectares of land. Presently assigned originally to serve the western corridor lines of the Metro network as an interim or shared depot.
Capacity: It has been built to house up to 22 rakes.
Features: The depot includes car-shed facilities and serves as a stabling/maintenance point for trains operating on the western corridor until their permanent depot is available. Located near the Poisar River/local drain, separated by about 900 m from the main line, requiring elevated link works.
Role in Metro network: Will enable western end operations and stable trains for lines that run to Dahisar East and beyond.
