Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 21: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) is close to finalizing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Metro Line 8, also known as the Gold Line, which will directly connect Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

The 34.9-kilometre corridor, estimated to cost around Rs 20,000 cr, will be developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Once the DPR is submitted to the Maharashtra government, tenders will be floated, with the bidding process likely to conclude by the end of the year. The metro line is expected to become operational by 2029.

Beginning at CSMIA Terminal 2, the metro will run underground till Chheda Nagar before transitioning to an elevated track along the Sion-Panvel Highway. This revised route replaces the earlier plan that proposed the alignment via Palm Beach Road.

Cidco’s vice chairman and managing director Vijay Singhal said the Gold Line’s alignment is designed to boost multimodal connectivity by linking with suburban and long-distance rail services at Kurla and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT). The metro will also serve key residential and commercial hubs like Mankhurd, Vashi, Nerul, and Belapur, offering a crucial east-west transport link between the two airports.

Metro Line 8 will also provide interchanges with seven other metro corridors within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), ensuring seamless travel across the network. Singhal noted that this corridor will especially benefit air travelers on tight schedules while significantly easing traffic on the Eastern Express and Sion-Panvel Highways.