Mumbai, Mar 28 (IANS): Almost 8 years after the country's financial capital got its first east-west Mumbai Metro One corridor, two new lines are set to be partially open soon for the people, a top official said on Monday.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Commissioner S.V.R. Srinivas told IANS that the two new lines - Metro 2A and Metro 7 - shall be operational in early April and the exact date shall be announced in a day or so.

Both lines are fully elevated and Metro 2A, running from Dahisar west to D.N. Nagar (Andheri west), and Metro 7, from Dahisar east to Andheri east, would immensely benefit the people in the north-western suburbs.

The MMRDA is understood to have secured the final nod of Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety after complying with all the requirements for the project which has crossed several tentative deadlines since October 2021 for launching commercial operations.

"#MMRDA caresses the spirit of Mumbai! The financial capital of India getting commuter friendly. #Mumbai Metro 20 km0 #Metro Lines 2A andA7 getting ready for us all! MMRDA welcomes Mumbaikars," the MMRDA said in a tweet earlier in the day.

Metro 7 is 33.50 km long with 29 stations when fully completed and Metro 2A will be 18 km long with 17 stations en route.

Running parallel to the Western Express Highway, the Western Railway suburban section, the S. V. Road and the Link Road, the two new Metro Lines are intended to reduce road congestion and overcrowding in the local trains by upto one-third.

The development comes nearly 10 months after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, along with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, flagged off the trial runs of these two lines last May.

The first elevated 11.4 km long corridor, Mumbai Metro One Blue Line 1, was inaugurated on June 8, 2014, connecting Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar in the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai.