Mumbai Metro Line 9 Phase 1 Opens April 7 After 10-Years, Mira Road-Bhayandar Now Directly Connected To City

Mumbai Metro Line 9, a 13.58 km corridor connecting Dahisar East and Mira Bhayandar, will finally open its first stretch tomorrow on April 7, ending repeated delays around the launch. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had initially planned the inauguration for April 3, but it was postponed due to the unavailability of senior leaders. Dates such as April 5 and April 6 were also considered before April 7 was finalised. Senior MMRDA officials confirmed the revised schedule on Sunday, stating that the inauguration will take place on Tuesday.

The event will begin in Dahisar at 10 am. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar will flag off the services of Phase 1 of Metro Line 9 (the Red Line extension). The delegation will travel across the new stretch and conclude the inspection at Kashigaon in Mira Road.

Mumbai Metro Line 9 Route: Dahisar To Kashigaon Stretch

Mumbai Metro Line 9 is part of the Dahisar to Mira Bhayandar corridor and the first phase covers a stretch of about 5 kilometres. The route connects Dahisar East with Kashigaon through Pandurangwadi and Miragaon.

Currently, four stations: Dahisar, Pandurangwadi, Miragaon and Kashigaon are ready and will be thrown open to public use immediately after the inauguration.

The line also works as an extension of existing Red Line (Line 7). Passengers will need to change trains at Dahisar East to continue towards Gundavali. Even with this interchange, the line brings metro connectivity closer to the Mira Bhayandar region.

At present, Mumbai has four operational metro corridors - Lines 1, 2A, 3 and 7 and this new stretch pushes connectivity further into the Mira Bhayandar region.

Mumbai Metro Line 9 Benefits: Travel Time, Traffic And Connectivity

The opening of Mumbai Metro Line 9 is expected to cut travel time and reduce pressure on the Western Express Highway. This corridor sees heavy traffic throughout the day and the metro is likely to ease some of that load.

It will also help reduce crowding on suburban trains, especially for commuters travelling from Mira Road, Vasai and Virar. Officials expect ridership to rise once services stabilise and more trips are added.

Despite the benefits, access to the station remains a concern. Ongoing roadwork near Dahisar check naka and heavy traffic in the area could make it difficult for commuters to reach the station easily. Crossing the highway is another issue that may affect smooth entry and exit in the initial phase.

Metro Line 2B from Diamond Garden to Mandale Opening

The inauguration event will also include the opening of a partial stretch of Metro Line 2B from Diamond Garden to Mandale. In addition, tunnelling work for the Thane Borivali twin tunnel project will begin and a pod taxi project will see its ground breaking at Bandra Kurla Complex.

These developments show a wider push to improve transport infrastructure across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with Mumbai Metro Line 9 playing a key role in the expansion.

Metro Line 9 is extension of Line 7 from Andheri to CSIA and Dahisar to Mira Bhayander and is 13.581 km long (11.386 km elevated and 2.195km underground) with 10 stations. However, the phase 1 had received safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety in January after successful trial runs. While only the first phase is opening now, the full corridor spans 13.58 km between Dahisar East and Mira Bhayandar.

The project was first announced in 2016 but faced multiple delays due to land acquisition issues, contractor challenges and public opposition over depot locations. The April 7 launch marks a partial but important step forward after years of slow progress.