Latest 50 Million Journeys Recorded in Just 179 Days as Daily Ridership Continues to Grow
Mumbai : The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)-operated Metro network has crossed the milestone of 300 million (30 crore) passenger journeys, underlining the growing role of Metro services in Mumbai’s urban mobility landscape and the increasing public preference for mass rapid transit.
The milestone was achieved on August 3, 2026, across Metro Line 2A (Dahisar East–Andheri West), Metro Line 7 (Dahisar East–Gundavali), Metro Line 2B Phase I (Diamond Garden–Mandale) and Metro Line 9 Phase I (Dahisar East–Kashigaon).
The latest milestone is particularly significant because the network added its last 50 million passenger journeys in just 179 days, the shortest period since Metro operations began in April 2022. During this phase, average daily ridership increased from 2.70 lakh to 2.79 lakh passenger journeys, registering growth of over 3.3 per cent despite weekends, public holidays and seasonal travel fluctuations.
Since commencing operations on April 2, 2022, the MMRDA Metro network has recorded steady growth in ridership. It crossed 50 million passenger journeys in September 2023, 100 million in May 2024, 150 million in January 2025, 200 million in August 2025, 250 million in February 2026, before reaching the 300 million milestone this month.
A major factor behind the recent growth has been the commissioning of Metro Line 2B Phase I and Metro Line 9 Phase I on April 7, 2026, which added nine new stations to the operational network and expanded connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
According to MMRDA data, daily ridership during the current phase is more than 23 per cent higher than the period between the 100-million and 150-million milestones. Compared with the first five million passenger journeys recorded in 2022, the network’s average daily ridership has increased by nearly 9.4 times, indicating sustained public adoption of Metro services.
Urban transport planners view the milestone as an indicator of changing travel behaviour in Mumbai, where commuters are increasingly shifting towards Metro services because of faster travel, improved reliability and better integration with the city’s public transport network. The continued expansion of Metro corridors is expected to further reduce dependence on private vehicles and ease pressure on Mumbai’s congested road network.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the achievement as a reflection of citizens’ growing confidence in modern, sustainable public transport. He said the expansion of Metro connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region would strengthen the city’s competitiveness while improving the quality of urban mobility.
Deputy Chief Minister and MMRDA Chairman Eknath Shinde said the milestone reflected the confidence that commuters had placed in the Metro network. He added that the government’s long-term objective is to extend world-class Metro connectivity across the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Thane and surrounding urban centres.
MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner and Chairman of Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd. (MMMOCL), Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, said the rapid addition of 50 million passenger journeys within 179 days demonstrated that Metro services had become an integral part of daily commuting in Mumbai. He credited the achievement to the combined efforts of engineers, planners, operations teams and frontline staff working to deliver safe and reliable public transport.
The 300-million milestone comes at a time when MMRDA continues to expand Mumbai’s Metro network, positioning rail-based urban transit as the backbone of sustainable mobility for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
