With the latest certification, the entire Line-1 spanning 11.1 km — from Belapur to Pendhar station — now has the mandatory permissions to commence commercial operations.
This has ended the 12-year wait for the Navi Mumbai Metro to become operational.
City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has received the final permission to begin commercial operations on its Metro Line-1 project, ending the 12-year wait for the Navi Mumbai Metro.
On Wednesday (21 June), the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) issued the necessary certificate to CIDCO for operations between Belapur and Central Park station on the stretch the of Navi Mumbai Metro Project (NMMP).
CIDCO had previously received the CMRS certificate for five stations from Central Park to Pendhar on this stretch, in October 2021.
The corridor is planned with 11 stations. With the latest certification, the entire Line-1 spanning 11.1 km — from Belapur to Pendhar station — now has the mandatory permissions to commence commercial operations.
Anil Diggikar, vice chairman and managing director of CIDCO, who inspected the metro stations on receipt of the certificate, said, “This is a significant milestone for the Navi Mumbai Metro Project. The receipt of the CMRS certificate will enable us to start commercial operations on the Belapur to Pendhar stations for the residents of Navi Mumbai soon,” reports Hindustan Times.
Delays In The Navi Mumbai Metro
The NMMP was initiated in May 2011 by the then chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and work began soon thereafter.
However, the project encountered continuous delays due to several factors, including changes in plans, issues with contractors, protests, and difficulties with land acquisition by CIDCO.
These delays resulted in increased costs for the project execution. The Metro Line-1 project’s estimated cost is Rs 3,400 crore, out of which CIDCO already infused Rs 2,600 crore.
To expedite the project, CIDCO received a supporting line of credit of Rs 500 crore from ICICI Bank.
Last year on 30 December 2022, the trial run of the metro line was successfully conducted for the corridor spanning 5 km and running across five stations — connecting Pendhar and Central Park, as per earlier reports.
The line is further proposed to link Belapur to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMAI).
Once operational, the transit network will be a great relief to the residents of the connecting areas, alleviate traffic congestion in busy areas and is expected to elevate the real estate demand.
Over the years, many people had purchased flats in Navi Mumbai relying on the proposed metro connectivity, however, they were unable to move due to the project’s inactivity.