Maharashtra Cabinet Clears Metro Line 8 Linking Mumbai And Navi Mumbai Airports, Travel Time To Drop To 30 Minutes | VIDEO

Mumbai, Jan 27: Commuting between Mumbai’s two international airports is set to become significantly quicker after the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, approved the construction of Mumbai Metro Line 8, a dedicated corridor connecting the city’s existing airport with the newly inaugurated Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

Once operational, travel time between the two hubs is expected to be reduced to around 30–35 minutes. The Chief Minister directed officials to secure all statutory clearances in advance and ensure strict adherence to project timelines.

Direct metro link between two airports

Metro Line 8 will provide a direct rail connection between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and NMIA, spanning approximately 35 kilometres with 20 stations along the route. Of these, six stations will be underground and 14 elevated.

The underground stretch will extend from Terminal 2 of the Mumbai airport to Ghatkopar East, while the elevated section will run from Govandi West to Terminal 2 of the Navi Mumbai airport.

The average distance between stations will be less than 1.9 km. The corridor will also improve connectivity to key transport nodes such as Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and the Kurla region.

Funding pattern and execution timeline

Sharing project details, Chief Minister Fadnavis said that 20 per cent of the funding will be provided by the Central government, with an equal contribution from the state government. The remaining investment will be mobilised through the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

He added that the first nine kilometres of the corridor will be underground, while the remaining length will be elevated. The new line will intersect with three existing metro corridors, strengthening Mumbai’s expanding metro network.

While the project is planned for completion within five years, the Chief Minister has instructed officials to accelerate execution and target completion within three-and-a-half years.

Land acquisition and project cost

The project will require 30.7 hectares of land, with land acquisition costs estimated at Rs 388 crore. The overall cost of Metro Line 8 is pegged at Rs 22,862 crore.

Officials have been directed to complete land acquisition and obtain all necessary approvals within six months, followed by construction to be completed within three-and-a-half years.

Part of twin-airport strategy

The proposed metro link is considered vital as Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports are expected to function as a twin-airport system in the coming years to manage rising passenger traffic. The state government has reiterated its focus on fast-tracking major infrastructure projects and minimising delays.

Pointers of Project Metro Line 8

— The proposed metro corridor will have a total length of 35 kilometres.

— Of the total length, 9.25 km will be underground, while 24.636 km will be elevated.

— The corridor will have 20 stations in total, including six underground stations and 14 elevated stations.

— The underground section will run from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Terminal 2) to Ghatkopar (East).

— The elevated section will extend from Govandi (West) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (Terminal 2).

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— The average distance between two stations on the corridor will be approximately 1.9 kilometres.

— The project will require 30.7 hectares of land acquisition.

— The estimated land acquisition cost is Rs 388 crore.

— The total estimated cost of the metro project is Rs 22,862 crore.

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