In a major development initiative taken ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the BJP-led saffron alliance Government on Tuesday approved three Metro corridors involving 50 km-long route and a cost of Rs 24,000 crore.
At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the State Cabinet gave a go ahead to the three metro corridors — one of which caters to the people living in south central and south Mumbai and the two others serve the extended suburbs in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
While one route will serve parts of eastern and south Mumbai, the other two routes shall serve the extended suburbs in Thane, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said after the cabinet meeting.
Two of the approved metros cater to the extended northern suburbs of Thane, Kalyan and Taloja — all located in the MMR, while the third okayed metro is for a route between Wadala in south central Mumbai and General Post Office (GPO) in south Mumbai, both points located in the Island city.
Estimated to be built at a cost Rs. 8,000 crore, the Wadala-GPO Metro 11 corridor will be a 14 km-long route. It will be partly elevated and partly underground with 14 stations en route. The stations are: Wadala RTO, Ganesh Nagar, BPT Hospital (elevated) and Sewri Metro, Hay Bunder, Coal Bunder, Darukhana, Wadi Bunder, Clock Tower, Carnac Bunder and CSMT Metro (all underground).
Slated to be developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 5000-crore, the Gaimukh-Shivaji Chowk Metro 10 corridor will be 11 km long and it will have five stations en route. The five stations are: Gaimukh, Gaimukh Retibunder, Versova Chaarphata, Kashi-Mira and Shivaji Chowk in adjoining Thane district.
The Kalyan-Taloja Metro 12 corridor is both longest and costliest among the three metro corridors. Set to cost an estimated cost of Rs 11,000 crore, the 25 km Kalyan-Taloja Metro 12 has 18 stations en route. This metro caters to most important industrial centres in the MMR.
The 18 railway stations in this corridor are: APMC Kalyan, Ganesh Nagar, Pisawali Gaon, Golwali, Dombivli MIDC, Sagaon, Sonarpada, Manpada, Hadutane, Kolegaon, Niljegaon, Wadavali, Bale, Vaklan, Turbhe, Pisawe Depot, Pisawe and Taloja.
According to a government spokesperson, the three new metro corridors are expected to reduce the journey timings by 50 to 75 per cent compared to the road and contribute to shifting of road users to metro by 30 to 35 per cent.