Mumbai, May 10 (IANS): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took time off around midnight to visit and review the progress of the ongoing first and only fully underground Mumbai Metro-3 Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ, officials said here on Wednesday.

He later told mediapersons that the first phase of the Metro-3 line (Aarey Colony to Bandra Kurla Complex) will be ready by December this year and the second phase by June 2024.

Sporting a safety helmet, Shinde and other officials went around the upcoming Vidhan Bhavan (88 per cent ready) and Churchgate (83 per cent done) metro stations of the Package-1, while Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Director S. K. Gupta briefed him on the project status.

"This route is important for improving the public transportation system in the city and its work is proceeding at a fast pace. The work of the Metro-3 route is almost 90 per cent complete. It will reduce 600,000 vehicles on the roads," said Shinde, going around the underground stations.

He added that the Metro-3 will be connected with Metro lines 1, 2, 6 and 9, the Mumbai Airport, the Monorail and the suburban railway lines at Churchgate and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

The Metro-3 is a 33.50 km fully subterranean line, with 27 stations enroute including 26 underground, which will cater to over 1.70 million commuters by 2031.

The new generation Metro trains are equipped with driverless technology to ensure prompt and uninterrupted services and for the first time in India, the MMRC is using a high vibration attenuation track system to ensure a smooth journey and ensure safety of the building on the ground.

The Phase-1 (Aarey Colony to BKC) is 12.44 km long with 10 stations and it is overall 87.20 per cent complete, while the Phase-2 (BKC to Colaba) is 21.35 km long with 17 stations is 77 per cent completed.

Overall, the Metro-3 is 81.50 per cent completed including 100 percent of the tunnelling and breakthroughs, with plans to commence service trial runs on Phase-1 from October, and after the CRMS clearance by December the regular operations will start.

When fully operational, Metro-3 will reduce 6,50,000 vehicle trips per day with 35 per cent reduction in road traffic, slash fuel consumption by over 3.50 lakh liters daily and cut 2.61 lakh tonnes CO2 emissions, said the officials.