Mumbai Underground?. Review on Local Trains

I just got a pdf email attachment - Mumbai Local(metro) Map! A very handy utility for someone like me who quite frequently visits Mumbai. Those who missed it can download it from here (requires acrobat) :-

https://geocities.com/amitrajput/mumlocal.pdf

Now if u carefully see this Mumbai metro map, it seems so complicated....Well, Mumbaites might not think its complicated coz they must be used to it since childhood. But I am sure a newbee would be totally clueless for the first time ! Slow lines, fast lines, western, central, harbour, new lines, east west north south blah blah what not :(( !!!!

I m very well used to traveling by metros but when it comes to Mumbai local, I have to ask somebody for help every time. Reason being either unable to see proper instructions maybe coz of my own mistake or maybe they are not displayed at proper places(or not displayed at all).

Reminds me of a program on discovery channel yesterday ''Extreme machines''. They were showing construction of metro tunnels under the NY city and and the river (forgot the name) !!!! That was phenomenal !!! And huge !! I was amazed to know NY has some 450 metro stations !!!! Then I tried counting Mumbai's local stations from the map :D (yeh right, I m jobless). They came to around 120 which too is quite impressive.

Now coming to arrangement of these stations and tracks. I haven't seen NY metro network. Dunno about london either. But as I can see from the Mumbai map, aint it too complicated and haphazard? They seem to be going on connecting almost anything to anything !! Now of course its according to growing demands and needs but as it is growing, its getting more and more complicated and complex !!!

When I talk about discipline, I must appreciate the Russians ! Kindly have a look at metro maps of these two cities:-

St. Petersburg :- https://geocities.com/amitrajput/spbmetro.gif

Moscow :- https://geocities.com/amitrajput/mosmetro.gif

Now even though St. Petersburg has just around 50 stations, the length and network is almost comparable to Mumbai. But then notice the placement of the stations. Its so easy and convenient. Also its soo easy to travel, not to mention it has one of the most deepest / beautiful (each metro station is an art masterpiece) metro stations in the world, some tracks going even below huge river Neva.

Moscow is even better !! Just have a look at the placements of metro stations again. Could anything be much better and more disciplined? On top of it, wherever you are in moscow, you are likely to be in a range of walkable distance from some metro station !! Impressive eh?

Also, the placement of instructions, boards etc are so simple that even a blind person can travel aram se ( alright, I m getting a bit carried away :P )

Coming back to Mumbai...Well things cannot change now. In future maybe because of growing demand they might decide to build an underground metro network throughout the city (Mumbai Underground?)! Well, NY mein ho sakta hai to Mumbai mein kyu nahi? Lets hope its convenient, pleasant and beautiful !

Jai Maharashtra !

ps - Anybody from Delhi? Howz Delhi Underground doing?

ps2- and Kolkota?