In a significant step forward, the Maharashtra state government has finalised the alignment of Metro Line 8, which is designed to provide a direct metro connection between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The metro line, developed by CIDCO, is slated to offer a seamless intra-city metro network to Mumbai by linking multiple Navi Mumbai suburbs. According to the detailed project report, 11 stations will be located within Navi Mumbai limits.
After it crosses the Vashi Creek bridge from Mankhurd, the metro corridor will run alongside the Sion–Panvel Highway. Later, it will divert inward to connect Nerul, Seawoods, and Ulwe. It will eventually terminate inside the NMIA campus.
In a notable development, the state government has decided to include the upcoming Metro Line 8 project in the MMRDA’s 337-km regional metro master plan. While it was originally proposed as a joint venture between CIDCO and MMRDA, the project is now slated to be taken forward under a public–private partnership model. It is important to note that CIDCO will be taking full charge.
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated NMIA, and the commercial operations are expected to be rolled out starting on 25 December.
List of 11 stations
The proposed city stations include Vashi, Sanpada, Juinagar, Nerul Sector-1, Nerul, Seawoods, Belapur, Sagar Sangam, Targhar/Moha, NMIA West, and NMIA Terminal 2, with the final two facilities located within the airport premises itself.
The metro's alignment passes through several densely populated areas, which are also economically prominent. After making its entry through Mankhurd, the upcoming project will run through Vashi, Sanpada, and Juinagar along the Sion–Panvel stretch, according to a Swarajya report.
From LP Junction in Nerul, the line moves inward, with a major station to come up near Dr D. Y. Patil University. It will then curve through inner Nerul and Seawoods—featuring an interchange near Wonders Park—before moving toward Ulwe via Apollo Hospital and the NMMC Headquarters.
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