Mumbai Metro: 2 hours journey in 30 minutes, two international airports will be connected

Airport to Airport Mumbai Metro: Mumbai is the economic capital of the country. Due to this, people from different parts of the country come and live here. People from abroad also come and live here in connection with business. Being the center of Indian entertainment, this city has its own importance. Celebrities from the film and art fields of the country as well as from all over the world keep coming here. Mumbai is also an industrial hub, due to which it has turned into a cosmopolitan city rather than a metropolis. Due to all this, there are immense employment opportunities in this city, hence the population here is also high and dense. Lakhs of people keep moving from one place to another every day in search of employment. Therefore, it is very important to expand as well as upgrade the public transport system. Keeping all this in mind, Mumbai Metro was launched here also. Metro Rail is also being continuously expanded. A plan has been prepared to directly connect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport of the metropolis to Navi Mumbai International Airport by metro. The initial estimate is that approximately ₹ 23000 crore will be spent on this project. Its blueprint has been prepared.

According to the information, with the preparation of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) to become operational from December 25, the state government has approved the plan of a high-speed metro line connecting both the airports of the metropolis. This is the link that was missing for a long time, as NMIA currently has no mass transit connectivity. The government has now prepared the blueprint for a fast airport-to-airport metro system, which will connect Mumbai and Navi Mumbai within 30 minutes. Currently the travel time on this route is 75 to 120 minutes. The proposed Metro Line 8 or ‘Gold Line’ will directly connect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to NMIA.

Important facts related to Airport-to-Airport Metro Line -:

• Cost: ₹23000 crore
• Length: 34.89 kilometers
• Station: 20
• Underground stations: 6
• Elevated stations: 14
• Connectivity: 6 metro lines, suburban rail and bus stations

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport will be connected to Navi Mumbai Airport by metro. (file photo)

Total 20 proposed metro stations on the route -:

1. CSMIA T2
2. Phoenix Mall
3. SG Barve Marg
4. Kurla
5. Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT)
6. Garodiya Nagar
7. Baiganwadi
8. Mankhurd
9. Vashi
10. sanpada
11. Junagadh
12. LP Junction
13. Nerul 1
14. Nerul 2
15. Seawoods
16. Apollo Hospital
17. Sagar Sangam
18. telegraph house
19. NMIA West
20. NMIA T2

How much will it cost?

According to the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by CIDCO, this proposed corridor will be 34.89 km long and its estimated cost is around Rs 23,000 crore. According to the report of ‘Indian Express’, the project will be built on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, in which 20% Viability Gap Funding (VGF) will come from the Central and State Governments, while the remaining investment will be made by the private BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) partner. Right on the lines of Mumbai Metro Line 1. The government has accepted the DPR after getting approval from the Urban Development and Finance Department. Now work on the tender process is to start.

How much is the estimated reduction in travel time?

Talking about the current situation, it takes 75 to 120 minutes to go from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to Navi Mumbai International Airport. In case of traffic jam, the time may increase further. After the start of metro service, this distance can be covered in just 30 minutes. In this way people’s valuable time will be saved. Also, you will not have to face the hassle of traffic jam. There will be a total of 20 stations on the Gold Line. Of these, 6 will be underground and 14 will be elevated. It is estimated that 10.3 lakh passengers will travel daily on this line by 2031.