Background
Mumbai is the financial and commercial capital of India. It is also among the largest cities in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of over 20 million as of 2011, and a population growth rate of around 2% per annum. Mumbai has the advantage of a high modal share of the public (88%) in favour of a public mass transport system. The existing Mumbai Suburban Railway carries over 7 million passengers per day, and is supplemented by the BEST bus system, which provides feeder services to station-going passengers to allow them to complete their journeys. However, due to the city’s geographical constraints and rapid population growth, road and rail infrastructure development has not been able to keep pace with growing demand over the past several decades. Moreover, the Mumbai Suburban Railway, though extensive, is not built to rapid transit specifications.
In May 2003, the original Mumbai rapid-transit plan was updated to include an elevated 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) LRT system linking Andheri and Ghatkopar, via Asalpha, Marol, Chakala and Saki Naka. In January 2004, a master plan was 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) would be underground. In June 2004, government approval was given for a 13-station elevated light rail line between Ghatkopar and Versova. The foundation-stone-laying ceremony was held on 21 June 2006.
Read more about this topic: Mumbai Metro
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