Introduction
The Thane Metro is a Mass Rapid Transit system for the city of Thane, Maharashtra, India. It will feature 22 stations along a 29 kilometres route (26 km elevated and 3 km underground) and will be connected to lines 4 and 5 of the Mumbai Metro. It’ll be also integrated and connected to the proposed New Thane Railway Station and existing Thane Railway Station. The project will be implemented by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro).
The Maharashtra Government Cabinet Headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approved Thane internal ring metro project on 6 March 2019. The Construction was expected to be completed in 4–5 years at a cost of Rs. 13,095 crore. The proposed cost of the tickets will vary from Rs.17 to Rs. 104. The roofs of the metro stations are planned to be fitted with solar panels, which will provide up to 65% of the electricity requirements for the system.
Project Details
Key Figures
Operational : 0 km
Under Construction : 0 km
Approved : 0 km
Proposed : 29 km
Total Estimated Cost : Rs. 7165 crore
Metrolite System Specifications
Track Gauge : Standard Gauge – 1435 mm
Electrification : 25 kV, 50 Hz AC OHE
Signalling : Communications-based train control (CBTC)
Total Capacity : 300-425 passengers (3 coach train)
Route Information
Length : 29 km
Type : Elevated (primarily) and Underground (2-3 km)
Number of Stops/Stations : 22
Station Names : Raila Devi, Wagle Circle, Lokmanya Nagar Bus Depot, Shivaji Nagar, Neelkanth Terminal, Gandhi Nagar, Kolshet Industrial Area, Manpada, Dongripada, Vijaynagar, Waghbil, Waterfront, Patlipada, Azad Nagar Bus Stop, Manorma Nagar, Balkum Naka, Balkum Pada, Rabodi, Shivaji Chowk, Thane Junction (underground) and New Thane (underground).
Timeline (Key Dates)
December 2018 : DPR approved by Thane Municipal Corporation.
January 2019 :DPR submitted by Thane Municipal Corporation to Maharashtra Government
March 2019 : DPR approved by Maharashtra cabinet.
December 2020 : Revised Metrolite DPR approved by Thane Municipal Corporation.
September 2021 : Metrolite plan scrapped and Revised regular Metro DPR approved by Thane Municipal Corporation.
Fares
Thane Metrolite’s fare structure, prices and rules have not been announced yet. That will be finalized closer to the start of commercial operations. Ticketing will likely be integrated with Mumbai’s Metro network.
Conclusion
Thane Metrolite project with 1 circular line and 22 stations is a 29 km light rail transit (LRT) system proposed to be built in Thane, Maharashtra by Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro). Thane’s mass transit project was initially planned as a regular (heavy) metro line, had its foundation stone laid by the Prime Minister in December 2018, scrapped in 2019 due to cost concerns, and then resurrected as a metrolite or light rail transit (LRT) system in early 2020.
The system will be designed per the Government of India’s July 2019 metrolite specifications, and will be cheaper to construct (approx Rs. 100 crore/km) and maintain due to its smaller size with lesser capacity compared to regular heavy-rail metro systems. Metrolite trains will mostly run at-grade (road level) on dedicated / fenced-in corridors and act as an excellent feeder to the Mumbai Metro (Line-4 Green Line & Line-5 Orange Line) and local suburban train system.
Its standard gauge system will be designed with trains operating at a top speed of 60 km per hour. Out of 22 stations, 2 will be underground while the rest will be elevated. A train maintenance depot is planned to built at Wadavli. Thane Metrolite’s Detailed Project Report was approved by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) in December 2020 and is currently awaiting the state government’s approval.
