CM Fadnavis sets ambitious goal of 50 km of new metro lines annually from 2026

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis wants revision of schedule to expedite construction of metro network in MMR

The schedule for completion of the metro rail network in the Mumbai metropolitan region will be revised to expedite construction and operation as CM Devendra Fadnavis wants at least 50 km of new lines to be constructed every year from 2026.

Fadnavis gave these instructions at the MMRDA review meeting. He also set a 100-day programme for the Urban Development Department that governs MMRDA and other infra agencies. In his first tenure between 2014 and 2019, Fadnavis had pushed hard the underground and overground metro network in MMR. Some projects have begun operating, but some haven’t moved as per the expected pace. 

Demanding no delays in the coming years, CM expected at least 23 km of additional lines to start operating from this year. In addition, 20-25km of Metro-3 (underground started partially last year) will also be added this year, he said, setting a target of 50 km for every year post 2025. 

According to Fadnavis, the planners should think about running metros without car sheds. He told the meeting about experiments in this regard in which temporary arrangements are made to park the trains. Considering the need for land for car depots for the forthcoming lines, he asked the planners to get the land parcels reserved for the purpose. Metro-3 was delayed primarily because of issues related to the land where the car shed was to be built. It delayed the work and escalated the cost of construction.

Fadnavis wanted MMRDA to complete Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s memorial at Indu Mills by the end of this year. He asked the nodal agency to prepare a project report about the annual maintenance of the Ambedkar memorial and the Balasaheb Thackeray memorial.

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