MUMBAI, Feb. 13 -- Months after receiving safety clearance to partially operationalise Mumbai Metro Line 2B, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is now considering adding one more station to the cleared stretch between Mandale and Chembur to improve ridership. Late last year, the commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) inspected and certified the section between Mandale in Mankhurd and Diamond Garden in Chembur, comprising five stations, for operations. Senior MMRDA officials recently visited the corridor, following which discussions were held on extending the operational stretch by commissioning a sixth station. The proposed addition is the Chembur Naka station, the next stop after Diamond Garden. Officials believe that operating only five stations in isolation with limited connectivity, apart from an interchange at Mankhurd railway station, may result in low passenger numbers. "As the Mandale-Diamond Garden stretch would function largely as a standalone corridor, ridership is expected to be modest. Commissioning Chembur Naka station would improve utilisation," a senior MMRDA source said. Chembur Naka offers an interchange with the Mumbai Monorail at VN Purav Marg-RC Marg Junction, which authorities expect will not only enhance Metro ridership but also provide a boost to the Monorail when it resumes services in May. Sources indicated that the initial push to operationalise the five-station stretch was driven by political and election-related timelines ahead of the Mumbai civic polls. With the elections and the Model Code of Conduct now over, officials have remained non-committal about the commissioning date. The state government is keen to showcase the project, particularly as the 2B corridor is linked to the Mandale car depot, spread over 30.45 hectares and touted as Asia's largest. The two-level depot can accommodate up to 72 metro trains. Metro Line 2B is part of the larger Metro 2 corridor, which will eventually have 37 stations....