Our World Tuesday # 13 Mumbai Metro

Mumbai Metro

Mumbai Metro Line 1 VAG ( Versova - Andheri - Ghatkopar ) was inaugurated on 8 June, 2014. It was designed to reduce the traffic congestion in the city, and provide east-west rail connectivity.

Tokens and smart cards are available for travel. The frequency of metro train is 4 minutes at peak hours and 8 minutes at non-peak hours, Sundays and holidays.
The train timings are from 5:30 am to 12 am.

The route is as follows:

Versova - D. N. Nagar - Azad Nagar - Andheri - WEH ( Western Express Highway) - Chakala - Airport Road - Marol Naka - Saki Naka - Asalpha - Jagruti Nagar - Ghatkopar

Inside Mumbai Metro

For more 'Our World Tuesday' photos from around the world, click below:

Ladies Compartment in Mumbai Local Train

A view inside the Ladies Compartment of new Mumbai local train. The train has a new look, purple and silver on the outside, and steel on the inside with comfortable seating, and good quality fans. The upgrade was long due and these 12 coach rakes have been welcomed by the commuters.

Mumabi Metro Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopapar (VAG)

 

This is the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) metro construction ongoing on Versova road in Andheri West. The pillars and staircases have blocked entrances to many restaurants, shops in this stretch, also blocking building gates, breaking down compound boundary walls. Most of these buildings are more than 25 years old, and there is speculation about how the buildings will react to the vibration once the Metro line is operational here.

What do you have to say about the Mumbai Metro (VAG)?

My World #9

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Morning peak hour 'UP' ( heading from suburbs and other areas towards South Mumbai) traffic
at D. N. Road in South Mumbai

D. N. Road is an important road in Fort area in South Mumbai. J. N. Petit Library, Khadi Bhandar are on this road. The sidewalks are filled with vendors selling books, music cassettes, clothes, imported things like audio equipment, cameras, musical instruments and calculators etc. mostly imported from China.

The area is famous for its street shopping and the book stalls sell a myriad of books at negligible prices. Surrounded by old buildings the area is beautiful although getting defaced by the multitude of advertising banners.

ABC Wednesday - 'S' for STARBUS

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The newStarbus from Mumbai's BEST's fleet of buses

OverLoaded

Train Ads

Advertisements on Mumbai Local trains have become very common nowadays.

Ads like this one 'A TV soap about shaadi- marriage, sasural - home after marriage, usually a joint family, sasumaa -mom in law' are best advertised on Ladies compartments, and increase the TRP of TV soaps. As soon as women passengers see a train like this, they begin to discuss the storyline and lo --the soap is soon popular.

This one 'Mera Sasural' is on all the compartments of the train.

Mumbai Metro

Work for Phase 1 of Mumbai Metro Rail Project Mass Rapid Transit has finally begun. This photo is right outside my mom's place on Versova Road. The first 11 km route of the Mumbai metro will be between Versova and Ghatkopar, all stations elevated, connecting the East to the West.



Anil Dhirubhai Ambani's Reliance Energy has bagged the project. Talks are on with major rolling stock builders like Alstom (France), Siemens (Germany) and Bombardier, which have produced vehicles for metro systems all over the world.

This section on Versova road is in the middle of the road, and obviously causing traffic problems. You can see the 7 Bunglow Bus Depot Mall in the photo. Also, a large number of traders at the Andheri market will have to be relocated to give way to the project. Promises are many. We have to wait and watch if they are implemented.

Gold Cab

Mumbai Gold Cab (P) Ltd. launches a fleet of yellow taxis in Mumbai to be leased to taxi drivers. The fleet of taxis is divided into three segments according to the type of vehicle
- basic (Maruti Esteem, Tata Indigo and Hyundai Accent)
- medium (Mitsubishi Lancer)
- luxury (Toyota Corolla)
For every 1.5 km distance covered, the tariff would be Rs. 15 (basic), Rs. 19 (medium) and Rs. 24 (luxury) as compared to the blue cool cab which charges Rs. 16.50 every 1.5 km and the black and yellow taxi which charges a minimum of Rs. 13.
The cabs will be available on demand through fax, sma, internet and taxi terminals.
The company provides 24 hour service.

This cabbie volunteered to pose in front of his Maruti Esteem cab when I asked permission to photograph his cab.

Hutch PCO's IN BEST Buses

BEST bus customers in Mumbai can now make calls to any destination in India while travelling.
BEST is into a partnership with the telecom service provider Hutch, with plans to install its PCO's in more than 1,700 buses. The Hutch PCO is a GSM-based phone, for commuters to make local, STD and ISD calls using one rupee coins.The PCO"S and Hutch drop boxes (for cheque payment of Hutch phone bills) are installed behind the driver's seat. More than 100 buses have already been fitted with the PCO's.

Local calls are charged at Re.1 for 20 seconds, STD calls at Re.1 for 20 seconds and ISD calls at Re.1 for 6 seconds.
Passengers have welcomed and appreciated the initiative taken by BEST, and look at it as modernization of travel in BEST buses.

Train Adventures

The young boy in the photo is standing on the window sill of the ladies compartment window and holding on tight. And the train wasn't very crowded but he was doing this for thrill. I'm speechless.

A. H. Wheeler Book Stall

You will see the A.H Wheeler bookstall at every station in the city, and also at stations outside Mumbai in India. From Classics to love stories, newspapers, magazines, comics and books in English and regional languages, it's all there. The reading culture it has instilled among travelling Indians is beyond praise.

Mumbai Local Train Week

Mumbai local train is the lifeline of Mumbai. If you visit Mumbai, you must experience a ride in the local train. Try avoiding peak hours. This week will be Mumbai Train Travel Week. The Mumbai local trains carry more than 6.1 million commuters on a daily basis. It has the highest passenger density of any urban railway system in the world. Overcrowding is a major problem, especially during peak (office going) hours.

Mumbai Double Decker Bus

The Mumbai Double Decker Bus looks similar to the London Double Decker. There is one conductor on each deck, and the conductor on the lower deck makes sure that all passengers have alighted and got in.

Mumbai BEST Bus

The BEST buses are one of the most efficient modes of travel in terms of service and reliability for shorter and long distances.

The BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking) has a fleet of red single and double-decker buses. There are newly introduced air conditioned and low floor buses . Buses are numbered, and the final destination is marked on the front in Marathi and on the side in English.

Route details are put up in English on the board at many bus-stops.

And the locals are always more than happy to help you find your way... just ask one and you will find many get involved trying to help you out..!!!