Even though the inauguration of the Navi Mumbai Metro was a silent affair, citizens enthusiastically showed up for the commencement of the first Navi Mumbai Metro train service. The first train rolled out of the station at 3:00 p.m. All the passengers were given a rose along with their metro tokens upon the purchase of tickets.

The launch of the Navi Mumbai Metro witnessed a positive response from Navi Mumbaikars, who eagerly embraced the new transportation option. Despite the subdued inauguration, the joyous atmosphere prevailed as the first train embarked on its journey from Pendhar to Belapur Terminal and vice versa at 3:00 p.m. Passengers, including families with children and college students, expressed their excitement during this inaugural ride, which continued until 10:00 p.m.

Suresh Pawar, a Belapur resident, shared his delight, stating, “We never had any such metro services in Navi Mumbai yet; my child was very excited to have his first metro ride. There is beautiful scenery on both sides. From Belapur to Pendhar, all the exits are on the left, and from Pendhar to Belapur, all the exits are on the right.”

The Navi Mumbai Metro boasts state-of-the-art air-conditioned coaches and facilitates entry and exit on both the north and south sides of the Metro stations.

Aarti Jadhav, a Taloja resident, expressed her satisfaction, saying, “This metro service will be a great boon for residents of Taloja. I came here with two of my female friends today. We had a wonderful experience taking in the sights. This is a good initiative, better late than never, and the connectivity will be beneficial for so many of us.”

The project incorporates essential amenities such as parking spaces at Metro stations, ramps for disabled passengers, footpaths, spaces for auto-rickshaws, provision of diesel generators (DG) with UPS for uninterrupted power supply, passenger announcement systems, CCTV, and special toilets at concourse level for disabled persons.

The fares of Metro tickets on this route will vary depending on the distance – Rs. 10 for 0 to 2 km, Rs. 15 for 2 to 4 km, Rs. 20 for 4 to 6 km, Rs. 25 for 6 to 8 km, Rs. 30 for 8 to 10 km, and beyond 10 km is Rs. 40.

Rizwaan Khan, a Kharghar resident, praised the comfort of the ride, stating, “This was a very comfortable ride, there are 11 stations in total. The train was crowded with so many people with their phones out making memories; everyone had a smile on their face. We were greeted with a rose when we got our tickets. The route was very picturesque. We thank Eknath Shinde for giving the orders for it to be opened to the public as this was long pending.”

From 18th November onwards, the first Metro will run between Pendhar to Belapur Terminal and Belapur Terminal to Pendhar at 06:00 a.m., and the last round of Metro from both sides will be at 10:00 p.m. Metro will run at the frequency of every 15 minutes on this Line No. 1.