Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1 to begin operations in April: CIDCO

Navi Mumbai Metro's Line 1, connecting Belapur to Pendhar, is set to become operational this month. The 11.1-km-long stretch will have 11 stations and a car depot for maintenance at Taloja. The project, costing INR 3,063.63 crore, is being funded through internal accruals. The remaining stations are in the final stages of construction. Detailed project reports for Lines 2 and 3 have been approved, while the DPR for Line 4 is on hold.

NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Metro (NMM) Rail Corridor Line No 1 connecting Belapur to Pendhar is all set to become operational this month as works on the remaining stations are in the final stage, said City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO).

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CIDCO has planned four elevated routes to strengthen the public transport system in Navi Mumbai.

The first phase of NMM Line 1 will cover a 11.1-km-long stretch between Belapur and Pendhar. It will have 11 railway stations: Belapur, Sector-7 Belapur, Science Park, Utsav Chowk, Sector 11 Kharghar, Sector 14 Kharghar, Central Park, Pethapada, Sector 34 Kharghar, Panchnand and Pendhar Terminal. The Line 1 will have a car depot for maintenance at Taloja and two traction sub-stations at Panchanand and Kharghar.

CIDCO has said that the funding for the project costing ₹3,063.63 crore is being carried out through surplus internal accruals and sans any financial assistance.

Sanjay Mukherjee, vice-chairman and managing director, CIDCO, speaking on the project completion said, “The section between station 7 (Central Park) to station 11 (Pendhar), spanning 5.14 km, has reached the commissioning stage. Works on stations 1 to 6 are progressing at full pace and we are expecting them to be completed soon.”

“Oscillation trials for the section between stations 1 to 7, with a length of 5.96 km, were successfully conducted by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in January this year. Other safety tests by railway authorities on NMM Line 1 are being carried out from February. From April, the complete Navi Mumbai Metro Line-1 is scheduled to become operational,” Mukherjee stated.

“NMM is very significant for internal connectivity in Navi Mumbai. While it will provide quality travel options to the residents, the real estate sector too will receive a boost,” he added.

The beginning, delay and resumption of work

The NMM project was initiated in May 2011 by the then chief minister Prithviraj Chavan with bhoomipujan in Kharghar. The government had then said that the metro will run in the city in three years.

The construction of stations and technical aspects of Line I was given to San José Constructora–Mahavir Roads–Supreme Infra JV. However, the work was delayed following which the contract was cancelled. CIDCO then blamed engineering skills and other issues for the delay.

To expedite the project, CIDCO in February 2021 appointed Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) to complete the balance work of Line 1 at a cost of ₹850 crore. In July 2021, it appointed Maha Metro for operation and maintenance of service on Line 1 for a period of 10 years for a payment of ₹885 crore plus taxes.

Detailed project report for Metro lines 2 and 3 approved

CIDCO has approved the detailed project report (DPR) for lines 2 and 3 in 2019. The DPR for line 4 has been kept on hold and a decision on the same will be taken at a later stage, CIDCO sources said.

The DPR includes the cost of constructing the line (route), operational and maintenance cost, funding options, length of the route, number of metro stations and other technical aspects. Accordingly, metro lines: 2, 3 and 4 will incur approximate expenditures of ₹2,820.20 crore, ₹1,850.14 crore and ₹1,270.17 crore, respectively.

The proposed plan for the Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1-A from CBD Belapur to Navi Mumbai International Airport is 7.99-km-long. The DPR is currently being prepared for future action.