The long-awaited Navi Mumbai Line 1 has finally received the green light for commercial operations after a 12-year wait.
The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) can now proceed with the much-anticipated project, which comes with a hefty price tag of Rs. 3,063.63 crore. The metro line will span from Belapur to Pendhar, covering a distance of 11.1 km and comprising 11 stations.
Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1: Stations
The initial stage of NMMP Line No. 1 comprises several stations, namely Belapur Rly station, Sector-7 Belapur, Science Park, Utsav Chowk, Sector 11 Kharghar, Sector-14 Kharghar, Central Park, Pethapada, Sector-34 Kharghar, Panchanand, and Pendhar Terminal. Furthermore, there will be a car depot for maintenance situated at Taloja, along with two traction substations at Panchanand and Kharghar.
The relevant paperwork was provided to CIDCO by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), who has authorised the start of commercial operations on Line 1 of the Navi Mumbai Metro Project. Previously, CIDCO had been granted a CMRS certification for the five stations on Line No. 1 between Pendhar and Central Park in October 2021.
During a visit to Ulwe, the Navi Mumbai Airport site, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the metro service would soon be operational following the receipt of CMRS certification.
With the approval in place, CIDCO has confirmed that the service is ready to be launched and is now awaiting confirmation from dignitaries for the official inauguration.
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Anil Diggikar, the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of CIDCO, expressed his delight and referred to this milestone as a significant achievement for the Navi Mumbai Metro Project. He emphasized that the CMRS certificate paves the way for the commencement of commercial metro services between Belapur and Pendhar stations.
The NMMP was initiated by former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in May 2011, with a Bhoomipujan ceremony in Kharghar. The State government had initially projected that the metro would be operational within three years.
Initially, the construction and technical aspects of metro station Line No. 1 were assigned to San Jose Constructora, Mahavir Roads, Supreme Infra JV. However, due to delays, the contract was eventually canceled.
In February 2021, CIDCO appointed Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) to complete the work on Line No. 1 at a cost of Rs. 850 crore. Subsequently, in July 2021, CIDCO also assigned Maha Metro the responsibility of operating and maintaining the service on Line No. 1 for a period of 10 years, amounting to Rs. 885 crore plus taxes.
CIDCO further enlisted Maha Metro as an engineering assistant for the execution of Metro Line No. 1 and secured a financial line of credit worth Rs. 500 crore from ICICI Bank. Additionally, CIDCO has allocated designated land in its budget this year to monetize for the NMMP project.
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