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One of Mumbai’s biggest festivals is getting a late-night travel upgrade. Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) plans to extend the timings on the Mumbai Aqua Line during Ganpati 2026, ensuring pandal hopping and late-night Ganpati darshans are more feasible for Mumbaikars. The extended timings of Aqua Line 3 will start from the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi – Monday, September 14 – and will remain active till Friday, September 25, covering the entire 11-day festival period.
This move by MMRC aims to help millions of devotees in Mumbai travel more comfortably and faster during the busiest days of festive seasons, when roads are packed and local transport sees a dramatic surge in footfall.
What's the Mumbai Aqua Line schedule and routes included for Ganpati 2026?
Instead of calling it a day at its usual hours, Mumbai Aqua Line will continue to operate till 12am (midnight). The last Mumbai Metro train from stations Aarey JVLR and Cuffe Parade usually departs at 10:30pm, but now it will run till midnight during all Ganpati 2026 days. These revised timings apply across the entire Aqua Line corridor, allowing commuters some extra hours – 1.5 hours, to be exact – to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with pandal hopping and late-night darshan, and attend cultural programmes.
For several Mumbaikars, this could mean skipping traffic altogether. The underground metro line connects multiple key parts of the city, offering a quicker route between suburbs, Central and South Mumbai. The Aqua Line also covers essential stations near popular pandal spots, including places like Siddhivinayak in Dadar, Worli, Mahalaxmi, Girgaon, and more. If you’re someone planning to cover Lalbaugcha Raja, Mumbai cha Raja in Ganesh Galli, Andheri cha Raja, Girgaon Cha Raja, or Colaba cha Raja in your must-visit Ganpati pandals list, your quicker and safer route is sorted.
Additionally, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) also allows passengers to carry Ganesh idols up to 18 inches (45 cm) in height on the Metro Aqua Line, while following the safety guidelines. This move is made considering the convenience and safety of the commuters during the rush across the city.