Updated On: 18 November, 2023 01:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Just three cars long as always planned, Navi Mumbai Metro could help city edge closer to decongested haven it was planned as, even as its citizens gear up for sizeable cost and time savings

A train makes its way from Belapur to Pendhar after the inauguration of Navi Mumbai Metro on Friday. Pics/Anurag Ahire
The smallest Metro train in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, comprising three coaches, began operations at 3 pm on Friday to the relief of lakhs of Navi Mumbaikars, who had been waiting for it for over a decade. “The three coaches will be insufficient later. But the good news is that the Metro has finally started. We have only seen the pillars standing for so long,” Belapur resident K R Iyer said.
Navi Mumbai resident Arindam Mahapatra said, “In the end, it was worth the wait. The new Metro will not only cut down my travel expenses, it will also be beneficial for those who want to travel in comfort without having to face autorickshaw refusal at night. My main request to CIDCO [City and Industrial Development Corporation] would be to put in place the return ticket facility at all stations as currently only Belapur Terminal has it.”