Navi Mumbai: CIDCO floats RFP to appoint consultant for developing strategy for remaining Metro lines

While the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is awaiting the safety clearance for commercial operation of phase one of Line one of Navi Mumbai metro, it has floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the appointment of a consultant for the formulation of development strategy for balance Metro lines two, three and four.

The consultant will have to study various models adopted for the development of Metro projects in India and globally. This will include the study of public-private partnership (PPP), non-PPP, and any other suitable model. It will also suggest the financing structure of various operational and under-construction metro projects in India.

To ease urban mobility and boost the economic development of Navi Mumbai, an integrated metro rail corridor is being developed by CIDCO.

The Navi Mumbai Metro has four lines—line one is Belapur to Pendher (11.1km), line two is Khandeshwar to Taloja MIDC (7.12KM), line three is linking between the first and second lines (3.87km) and line four is from Khandeshwar to Navi Mumbai International Airport (4.17km).

Line one is Belapur to Pendhar (11.1) consisting of 11 stations is nearing completion and is expected to start operations by Dec 2022. The project cost for all four lines is estimated to be INR 11,300 Crores, of which around INR 8,200 Crores has been budgeted for the remaining three lines 2, 3, and 4.

According to a senior CIDCO official, the appointed consultant will have to study the detailed project reports of lines 2, 3, and 4 and the project report of Line 1 which is nearing completion. It will also review the policy and regulatory environment for metro projects.

In addition, it will also study two national and two international metro projects developed on the PPP model. The appointed consultant will have to provide detailed reports within 15 months of the appointment.

At present, CIDCO is awaiting commissioner of metro railway safety (CMRS)reports for commercial operation of phase one of line one of Metro from Pendhar to Central Park in Kharghar, the 5.3 km stretch of the total 11 km line.