The Kasheli depot will also play a vital role in the inspection and testing of sub-assemblies, repair testing, and restoring subsystems.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has awarded the construction contract for the Metro Line 5 depot at Kasheli to Ritwik Projects.
The depot will be built on 27 hectares of land at a cost of Rs 589 crore.
The Metro Line-5 connects Thane to Kalyan via Bhiwandi. It is a 24.9-km-long elevated corridor with 15 stations.
The development of Rs 8,416 crore Metro Line 5 is divided into two phases, with the first phase covering an 11.9km route between Thane and Bhiwandi.
Construction work for this phase is nearly 80 per cent complete, and the depot is expected to be finished by March 2026.
Metro Line 5 Alignment
The car depot at Kasheli is a crucial facility for the operation and maintenance of metro corridors. It will serve multiple functions, including train parking, repairs, equipment handling and testing, cleaning, and periodic inspections.
The Kasheli depot will also play a vital role in the inspection and testing of sub-assemblies, repair testing, and restoring subsystems.
It will have a parking capacity for approximately 30 cars at a time and will feature various facilities such as a stabling yard, hazard store building, heavy wash plant, underground tank, depot control centre, administrative and central store buildings, workshop and inspection building, receiving substation, test track, and effluent treatment and sewage treatment plants.
The facility will have the capacity to handle heavy components such as traction motors, axles, gear cases, and axle boxes.
According to Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee, the appointment of a contractor for the construction of the car depot for Metro Line 5 is a significant milestone in the development of this metro corridor, as per Economic Times report.
Once completed, this route will provide direct and convenient access to an area that was previously underserved by the suburban railway network. It is anticipated that approximately three lakh passengers will utilise this metro route, fostering rapid development in the region.