Mumbai Metro: Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) has announced the withdrawal of the recently introduced shuttle service between Andheri and Ghatkopar. From June 16, all trains on Metro Line-1 will operate across the full Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor. This change comes just three months after the shuttle service was introduced to manage peak-hour congestion.

The new plan includes a slight improvement in frequency, as the headway between two metro trains will be reduced from 205 seconds to 200 seconds, beginning Monday. MMOPL stated that this adjustment aims to ensure a faster and smoother commute for daily passengers.

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The shuttle service, launched in March 2024, was introduced as a short-loop solution to handle overcrowding on the Andheri-Ghatkopar stretch. The idea was to increase capacity on high-demand stations during busy hours. The Hindustan Times report cited MMOPL sources as stating that, the shuttle did not yield the expected results in terms of punctuality and crowd management, leading to its withdrawal.

Passenger traffic data indicates that the stations at Versova, DN Nagar and Azad Nagar received relatively fewer commuters, averaging 61,000 daily, compared to the overall Metro-1 ridership of around 4.55 lakh. The shuttle was intended to boost capacity on the central section of the corridor without significantly impacting stations with lower footfall.

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The Hindustan Times report cited a regular metro commuter, Dhaval Shah from Andheri, as stating that, the system continues to experience crowding issues. He suggested that MMOPL now consider increasing the number of coaches on each train. “Instead of 4-car trains, running 6-car metro trains could be a more effective long-term solution,” he said.

Mumbai Metro-1 has been operational since June 2014 and currently runs 444 services on weekdays. Over the past 11 years, the line has served over 1,112 million passengers, providing a key transport link across the city.