Mumbai: Metro lines 9 (Kashigaon in Mira-Bhayander to Dahisar) and 2B (Mandale in Mankhurd to Diamond Garden in Chembur)—which were made operational on April 8—together clocked over 27,000 passengers a day in their first week despite the seasonal summer decline. Data for April 8-14 shows that line 9, now merged with Metro 7 to form the seamless Kashigaon-Dahisar-Gundavli corridor, averaged 23,097 riders a day. The merger has significantly expanded the continuous north-western Metro spines. Line 2B recorded an average daily ridership of 3,992 during the same period. Although still at a nascent stage, this corridor is expected to see a steady rise as more commuters in the eastern suburbs shift from road-based travel. Officials said the summer vacation period typically sees lower commuter volumes. With regular office and school travel expected to resume in the coming weeks, footfalls on both the new stretches are likely to rise further. TNN
