MUMBAI, July 15 -- The upcoming Mumbai Metro 4 corridor-connecting Gaimukh in Thane to Wadala in Mumbai-will be the city's first metro line to begin operations without a dedicated depot. To enable trials and system testing, rakes meant for Mumbai Metro Line 2B will be temporarily brought in from the Mandale depot in Mankhurd. In the absence of a ready depot at Mogharpada, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) has floated a Rs.8.28-crore tender for the transportation of 8 six-coach trains, or 48 coaches in all, from Mandale to the Metro 4 viaduct between Gaimukh and Cadbury Junction and back. This workaround comes as the Mogharpada depot, which was intended to serve Mumbai Metro 4 and its extension Mumbai Metro 4A, is facing construction delays. An official said that this was the first time in Mumbai's metro history that rakes would be physically transported from one corridor to another, given the lack of rail connectivity between Metro 2B and Metro 4. Since the two corridors are not linked by tracks, the rakes will be hauled over city roads using hydraulic multi-axle trailers, each carrying one coach weighing about 40 tonnes. The operation will be conducted primarily at night to avoid traffic congestion and will require permissions from multiple civic and traffic authorities. Officials said the tender includes the entire scope of work such as dismantling coaches if needed, loading and unloading, securing permissions, transit insurance and safe delivery of the rakes to the destination. The contract period is 24 months, extendable by 12 months, depending on when the Mogharpada depot becomes functional. "We are making optimal use of idle rakes from Metro 2B to ensure that trial runs on Metro 4 are not delayed," said a senior official, requesting anonymity, "Waiting for the depot to be ready would have pushed commissioning timelines further."...