The Gaimukh–Shivaji Chowk (Mira-Bhayandar) Metro Line 10 project has gained significant momentum, with the tender process set to begin by December 15, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Tuesday.
He was speaking during a review meeting at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) headquarters, attended by Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Ashwin Kumar Mudgal, Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Commissioner Radha Binod Sharma and other senior officials.
The fully elevated 9.718-km corridor, costing an estimated Rs 8,000 crore, will include five stations: Gaimukh Reti Bandar, Chena Village, Varsava Village, Kashimira, and Miragaon. The route has been designated as the green line and is projected to handle a daily ridership of 4.66 lakh passengers by 2031.
A depot for the line has been proposed at Mogra Pada (ML-4 Depot). The corridor will offer interchange connectivity with Metro Line 4A at Gaimukh and Metro Line 9 at Miragaon, enhancing travel efficiency for commuters heading towards Thane and Mumbai.
Systra–DB JV has been appointed as the general consultant for the project. Officials said that work on obtaining mandatory clearances — including forest, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), mangrove, wildlife conservation and eco-sensitive zone approvals — is currently underway. The general consultant has already prepared tender documents for both the metro construction and an accompanying 60-metre-wide road.
Minister Sarnaik said he was confident that the Metro Line 10 project will significantly improve connectivity for the Mira-Bhayandar region, enabling faster, modern and environmentally friendly travel once completed by 2030.
Bhoomi pujan for pod taxi project in 6 months, says Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik
Earlier, Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced that the pod taxi service will link Thane Mira-Bhayandar and Navi Mumbai, and the Bhoomi pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) for project will be held within 6 months, reported the PTI.
Pod taxis form part of a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, in which fully automated, driverless electric vehicles run on elevated tracks, carrying small groups of passengers.
Speaking at an event marking the death anniversary of Thane’s first mayor, Satishchandra Pradhan, Sarnaik stated that preparations were progressing and the ceremony would take place soon.
The first pod taxi corridor is planned to link Thane, Mira-Bhayandar and Navi Mumbai, creating a modern rapid-transit link across the region.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier stated that the pod taxi system would help provide last-mile connectivity and ease the burden on existing transport networks.
In September this year, CM Fadnavis had announced that pod taxi services will soon be introduced to reduce the burden on the city`s existing public transport infrastructure, news agency PTI reported.
During a high-level meeting on the project earlier, CM Fadnavis had highlighted that the service would play a vital role in easing congestion in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) corridor, which is expected to witness a sharp rise in commuter traffic with the development of a bullet train terminal and the upcoming new Bombay High Court building in the vicinity.
(With inputs from PTI)
