Mumbai Metro 8: INR 22,862 Crore's Gold Line Project Connecting Two City Airports Gets Approval - Here's All You Need To Know

In a significant step towards integrating the two key aviation hubs in the city, the Maharashtra government has finally cleared the long-awaited Metro Line 8 connectivity between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and Navi Mumbai International Airport.

Also known as the Gold line, the project aims to reduce travel time to just 30 minutes between both the airports. At present, the journey by road takes 75–120 minutes and can stretch beyond two hours during peak traffic.

The approval came during a meeting of the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya on Tuesday, January 27. The project will be implemented by CIDCO under a public-private partnership model.

Aim to complete the project in 3 years

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also set a timeline of six months to complete all land acquisitions and regulatory approvals.

The construction is expected to commence shortly thereafter, with a completion target set for three years from the date of approval.

Total cost of project:

A total cost of Rs 22,862 crore is expected for this gigantic project. The project will require acquisition of 30.7 hectares of land, estimated to cost INR 388 crore.

All you need to know about Metro 8:

1. Total length: 35 km

Of the total, 9.25 km of the stretch will be underground, while 24.636 km of the route will be elevated.

2. Stations: There will be a total of 20 stations on this route. Out of which 6 stations will be underground and 14 stations will be elevated.

3. Station layout: There will be underground stations from Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 station to Ghatkopar East. While there will be elevated stations from Ghatkopar West station to Navi Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 station.

4. Average distance between two stations: The distance between two stations will be approximately 1.9 km.

5. Proposed stations: CSMIA T2, SG Barve Marg, Kurla Central, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Ghatkopar East, Govandi West, Mankhurd, ISBT–Mankhurd, Vashi, Sanpada, Juinagar, Nerul Sector 1, Nerul, Seawoods, Belapur, Sagar Sangam, Targhar, Moha, NMIA West and NMIA Terminal.