Maharashtra Govt to Finalize Executing Agency for ₹15,000 Crore Gold Line Metro Connecting Mumbai, Navi Mumbai Airports.

The Gold Line, or Metro 8, connecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, is once again in the spotlight as the Maharashtra government prepares to finalize the executing agency for this crucial infrastructure project.

Currently, there is no mass rapid transit system (MRTS) linking the two airports, and the Metro 8 corridor, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Metro Master Plan, aims to bridge this gap.

Ahead of the assembly elections, discussions took place regarding which agency would handle the project, as the corridor spans both Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. While MMRDA and the state government were in favor of having Cidco (City and Industrial Development Corporation) execute the project through Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro), then-Chief Minister Eknath Shinde preferred MMRDA to take charge of the 35-km route.

“The then-chief secretary and MMRDA were inclined towards Cidco executing the project through Maha Metro, as the majority of the route falls within Navi Mumbai,” a state government official said.

Although the decision was not finalized under Shinde's tenure, with the Navi Mumbai airport set to open next year, the new government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to expedite the Metro 8 project.

The ₹15,000 crore metro line is projected to accommodate a daily ridership of nine lakh passengers, significantly enhancing connectivity between the two airports.

ET