MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has recently floated the tenders for the Metro 12 corridor, which connects Kalyan to Taloja for better Connectivity. Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, has announced funding of Rs. 1521 crore for the project and stated that work on the ground would commence shortly.
This upcoming extension of the Mumbai Metro’s Orange Line (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan) is the Kalyan-Dombivli-Taloja line. This new corridor will span over 20.75 kilometres, encompassing 17 stations, providing a convenient and seamless mode of transportation to and from the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.
MMRDA has floated tenders for nine stations on the 20 km long line which will have a total of 17 stations. The cost of the contract’s first phase is Rs 780 crore. MMRDA expects to operate trains of 3 or 6 coaches in this area depending on the demand. Upon operationalisation, the line will be integrated with Mumbai Metro line 5, benefiting citizens of Kalyan-Dombivli, Ambernath, Ulhasnagar, Badlapur Thane, Navi Mumbai and Panvel in large numbers.
As per the Detailed Project Report (DPR), the corridor passes through agricultural and barren land with comparatively fewer populations. The main aim of this corridor is to accelerate development activities and promote the relocation of people from crowded parts of the city to this area, as stated in the DPR. The project also aims to decongest Mumbai city by providing an alternative commute option. The initial services on this route will be operated with three-car coaches and later introduce six-car trains. The route will have a total of 15 rakes. MMRDA anticipates around 1.25 lakh passengers in the first year and a daily ridership of more than 2.6 lakh by 2031.
