MMRDA's Kasheli Metro Depot Reaches 23% Completion, Boosting Metro Line 5 Progress

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has accelerated work on the Kasheli Metro Depot, the key operations and maintenance facility for the upcoming Metro Line 5, with overall physical progress reaching 23% as of June 2026.

Spread over nearly 27 hectares near the Kasheli Toll Plaza, the depot will serve as the operational backbone of the approximately 32-km Thane–Bhiwandi–Kalyan–Ulhasnagar Metro corridor. Construction gained momentum after statutory environmental clearances were received in August 2025.

MMRDA is executing the project in phases to ensure that critical depot infrastructure is available early, enabling train testing, inspection, maintenance and commissioning activities before the entire facility is completed.

The depot is being designed to accommodate around 30 trainsets and will house inspection bays, workshop lines, a dedicated test track, shunting facilities, a Depot Control Centre, administrative offices, central storage, staff quarters, power infrastructure, train washing systems, sewage and effluent treatment plants, rainwater harvesting facilities and firefighting systems.

According to MMRDA, the depot has been planned as an integrated maintenance hub capable of handling routine inspections, preventive maintenance, major repairs and long-term asset management for the metro corridor.

One of the project's major engineering challenges has been the site's soft marine clay deposits extending six to nine metres below ground level. To address this, MMRDA, in consultation with experts from IIT Bombay, has adopted an advanced ground improvement programme using Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) and staged surcharge loading to accelerate soil consolidation and improve the soil's load-bearing capacity.

Nearly 10 hectares have been taken up under the ground improvement programme, with approximately 6.2 metres of surcharge embankment placed in phases.

Construction activities are progressing simultaneously across several components of the depot. Work is underway on the four-storey Depot Control Centre, while foundation work has commenced for the staff quarters. In November 2025, MMRDA also completed the lowering of 2,400-mm and 2,750-mm diameter BMC  water mains, clearing a major construction hurdle.

To facilitate the early commissioning of Metro Line 5, temporary operational facilities are also being developed alongside the permanent infrastructure. These include a temporary inspection pit shed with a pre-engineered building structure, a bogie turntable, a test track, an Auxiliary Substation (ASS) building and a dedicated shunting neck. These facilities will allow rolling stock inspection, testing and train movement during the interim period.

Once fully operational, the Kasheli Depot will support safe and efficient metro services across Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar while serving as the technical and operational centre for the corridor.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "The Kasheli Depot reflects Maharashtra's commitment to building modern and reliable public transport infrastructure. Metro Line 5 will strengthen connectivity across Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar while advancing our vision of a developed, well-connected Maharashtra."

Deputy Chief Minister and MMRDA Chairman Eknath Shinde said, "The Kasheli Depot will be central to the safe and efficient operation of Metro Line 5. Its steady progress brings the Mumbai Metropolitan Region closer to faster, reliable, and high-capacity public transport connectivity."

Metropolitan Commissioner Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee said, "The Kasheli Depot is the operational foundation of Metro Line 5. Despite challenging ground conditions, the project is advancing through scientific engineering, meticulous planning, and phased execution. It represents MMRDA's commitment to delivering robust metro infrastructure that will support reliable operations for decades to come."

Metro Line 5 is expected to significantly improve east-west connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region by linking Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar through a high-capacity mass transit system, with the Kasheli Depot playing a pivotal role in ensuring reliable operations and long-term maintenance of the corridor.

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