India, Feb. 23 -- The city's only underground metro corridor, the Aqua Line (Metro 3), which runs from BKC to Aarey Colony, has recorded a lukewarm response in the four-and-a-half months since its partial launch. Between October 7, 2024, and February 20, 2025, just 2.66 million passengers travelled on the Aarey-Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) stretch-an average of fewer than 20,000 passengers per day or less than 100 passengers per trip.

The Aqua Line was inaugurated on October 5, 2024, and opened to the public two days later. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which constructed and operates the line, had initially projected a daily ridership of 400,000 passengers.

However, according to MMRC data, the 12.44 km section has witnessed 29...