New year 2026 : Mumbai ready for December 31st celebration; All-night metro and extra BEST buses available

As the Mumbai municipal elections are in full swing, Mumbaikars are enthusiastically preparing to welcome the New Year. Since a large number of citizens venture out on the night of the thirty-first, the administration has made special arrangements to ensure their travel is safe, smooth, and effortless. The BEST initiative and Mumbai Metro administration have made an important decision to provide transportation services throughout the night.

For the convenience of travelers going out to welcome the New Year, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has decided to keep Metro-3, also known as the Aqua Line, running overnight. This metro, running between Aarey and Cuffe Parade, will start at 10:30 PM on December 31, 2025, and will run continuously until 5:55 AM on January 1, 2026. After that, the regular metro service will continue as usual from 5:55 AM. Therefore, the metro service that starts on the morning of December 31 will be continuously available until the early morning of January 1.

This special service will mainly benefit Mumbaikars celebrating the New Year on the beach. There will be no need to wait for a taxi or rickshaw when returning home at midnight, making this facility safer for women, families, and senior citizens. However, passengers are urged to strictly follow the rules of the metro, as appealed by the metro administration.

On the other hand, the BEST initiative has also made special preparations for the thirty-first. An additional 25 buses will be operated for passengers going to crowded beaches like Gateway of India, Juhu Chowpatty, Gorai Creek, and Mahim Chowpatty. From 10 PM to 12:30 AM on Wednesday night, additional trips will run on bus route numbers C-8.6, 203, 231, as well as air-conditioned bus routes A-21, 9-112, 9-116, A-247, A-272, A-294.

Additionally, the 'Heritage Tour' bus service will be operated from Wednesday evening at half-past five until the early hours of New Year's Day on Thursday, based on passenger response. Overall, the transportation system in Mumbai is ready to welcome the New Year, and the administration has appealed to citizens to take advantage of these facilities to celebrate the New Year safely and joyfully.