India, April 9 -- The opening day of two newly launched Mumbai Metro lines drew sharply contrasting responses from commuters, with Line 2B (Mandale-Diamond Garden) being a damp squib, while Line 9 (Kashigaon-Dahisar East) was a runaway success.

Both metro corridors were partially inaugurated by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday afternoon, even though the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had received statutory safety clearances over three months ago.

On Metro Line 2B (Yellow Line), trains largely ran empty or carried passengers in single digits through the day. The currently operational 5.38-km stretch offers suburban rail connectivity only at Mankhurd station, limiting its utility. Services run at a fre...