Mumbai Metro Line 9 to start trial runs, linking Andheri and Mira Road

Overhead equipment rail van spotted in Mira Road on Sunday. Pic/Dhiraj Mishra

Thane district's first-ever Metro rail, the Mumbai Metro Red Line 9 to Mira Road, is set for its trial run this week. With the overhead wires activated and charged on Saturday, the route is now ready for train trials. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to flag off the run. Metro Line 9 is an extension of Red Line 7 from Andheri-Dahisar to Mira-Bhayandar. It will enable a direct Metro link from Andheri (WEH) to Kashimira in the first phase and extend up to Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium, Bhayandar (West), in the second phase.

While the entire Red Line 9 includes eight stations - Dahisar, Pandurang Wadi, Miragaon, Kashigaon, Sai Baba Nagar, Meditiya Nagar, Shahid Bhagat Singh Garden, and Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium - only the first four stations up to Kashigaon will be functional in the first phase.

Last week, the MMRDA issued an advisory urging citizens to exercise caution along the Metro Line 9 corridor (Dahisar to Kashigaon) as it planned to energise the Metro's 25,000v overhead traction wires on May 10 along a 4.973-km stretch. This energisation will be followed by full-scale dynamic testing of the trains, including trials of critical systems like train movement, signalling, communication, and safety protocols, in preparation for public commissioning. The Kashimira Metro station is about 1.4 km from the existing Mira Road station on the Western Railway.

"Several Metro projects in the MMR faced delays due to land-related and implementation challenges. At MMRDA, we've taken focused measures to eliminate these hurdles and restart stalled progress. Our approach is clear - make completed stretches operational without waiting for the full corridor. The upcoming dynamic trials on Metro Line 9 exemplify this strategy. Through phased commissioning, we're accelerating access to a safe, modern, and sustainable transport mode. These efforts are part of our larger vision - ‘Mumbai in Minutes' - to bring fast, seamless, and reliable connectivity to the region," said Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.