Archive · 22 Jan 2026
Mumbai's First Fully Underground Metro Aqua Line 3
R Ramana is the Chief Director of Planning at MMRC.
He has been working on Mumbai's first fully underground metro, called Aqua Line 3.
This project started around 2010 and was initially planned as a public-private partnership but later became fully government-funded.
The metro is designed to handle a lot of passengers and has special challenges, like not having mobile networks underground.
The telecom companies want free access to provide services, but the metro authority wants them to pay.
They are still discussing this issue and hope to resolve it soon.
R Ramana, with over three decades of experience, is leading the planning and execution of Mumbai's first fully underground metro, Aqua Line 3.
The project was initially planned as a public-private partnership but was converted to a fully government-funded model.
The alignment was decided to ensure direct connectivity to south Mumbai, a major area for airport users.
The tunnel alignment in south Mumbai was particularly complex due to old sewer lines and heritage buildings.
The metro system is designed to handle between 12 lakh and 30 lakh passengers per day, with current ridership around 1.85 lakh daily.
- Who
- R Ramana, Chief Director (Planning) at MMRC
- What
- Designing and executing Mumbai's first fully underground metro, Aqua Line 3
- When
- Project planning started around 2010
- Where
- Mumbai, India
- Why
- To improve public transport and provide direct connectivity to the airport, especially from south Mumbai
- Chief Director (Planning)
- R Ramana
- Project
- Aqua Line 3
- Project Model
- Government-funded
- Daily Ridership
- 1.85 lakh
- System Capacity
- 12 lakh to 30 lakh passengers per day
- Mobile Network Issue
- Telecom operators seek free access
- Decision Timeline
- Expected within the next month