The much-talked about metro connectivity between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is to be fulfilled soon. According to the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), the work on preparing a detailed project report (DPR) is on a fast track and will be finalised at the earliest.
“We are currently preparing the detailed project report (DPR) of the Airport Express Line Metro and will be ready with the same soon. Once DPR is prepared and approved, remaining processes such as inviting tenders, finalising the contractors and commencing the construction work will be done,” a senior CIDCO official said not wishing to be named.
Asked whether the metro will be an elevated one or underground or combination of both, the official said that some parts of the metro will be underground while some will be elevated. “We are deliberating on the same while preparing the DPR. We hope to finalise the route alignment soon,” the official added.
As per reports, the Rs 15,000 Crore metro line is likely to have a daily ridership of nine lakh passengers once the existing and the proposed airport is connected. CIDCO is working in coordination with another state body Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for the project. As per reports, the MMRDA, through Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will build metro line 8 from CSMIA to Mankhurd which is a stretch of 11.1 km while CIDCO will connect Mankhurd to the proposed NMIA.
The 35 km route between CSMIA and NMIA will have eight metro stations and the trains will run within a frequency of 15 minutes, sources say.
According to the CIDCO official, the work on NMIA is 75% complete and reiterated that the airport will start operations by March 31, 2025. “The runway work has been completed, the radar has been placed, the work on ATC tower is almost done while the terminal building is 60 to 70% ready. I am confident that the concessionaire will complete the NMIA project in time so that the first flight takes off from the new airport by March 31, 2025,” the official concluded.
