4 months on, Navi Mumbai Metro gets a date with PM

Almost four months after the City and Industrial Development Corporation CIDCO officials claimed they were ready to commence the longawaited metro project an inauguration date has finally been set According to internal CIDCO correspondence Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the metro on October 30Preparations are underway at all metro stations to address issues related to passenger safety and facilities as suggested by engineers Metro Line 1 received the necessary approvals for operation on June 21 2023 However CIDCO officials are cautious referring to the date as tentativeThe proposed Navi Mumbai Metro Line took 12 years to complete from the groundbreaking ceremony which took place on May 1 2011 under the leadership of thenChief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Despite plans by CIDCO to complete the first line within three years various delays including legal and technical issues prolonged the construction of the 1110 km Navi Mumbai metro with 11 stations Phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai metro will run from CBD Belapur to Pendhar playing a significant role in improving connectivity and expanding the real estate market in Navi MumbaiEndtoend journey time is expected to be 18 minutes Representation picThe construction of stations and aspects of Line 1 were initially awarded to San Jose Constructora Mahavir Roads and Supreme Infra JV but the contract was later cancelled by CIDCO To expedite construction the Maharashtra Metro Railway Corporation MahaMetro took over in February 2021 After five months MahaMetro was also awarded the operations and maintenance contract for Line 1 for the next 10 years at a cost of R885 crore plus taxesAlso read Mumbai Drug lordrsquos web series confession to cops lsquoI want to be famousrsquoIn October 2021 CIDCO received the CMRS Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety certificate to operate the Navi Mumbai Metro for a 54 km stretch from Pendhar to Central Park However CIDCO completed construction on all 11 stations on Line 1 and proceeded with CMRS certification Finally on June 21 2023 CIDCO officials announced that they had received all the necessary approvals and certifications to run the metro The project incurred a cost of approximately Rs 250 crore per kilometre making the total cost of Line 1 approximately Rs 2500 crore Every day of delay in operation adds to the projects cost burdening taxpayersAfter receiving all the necessary approvals CIDCO officials informed the chief ministers office of their readiness to launch the metro line The chief ministers office was working to secure a date for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the project In midOctober preparations were initiated in anticipation of the PMs arrival before NavratriNow internal correspondence from CIDCO officials has confirmed the inauguration of the metro line by the PM on October 30 In a letter accessed by midday CIDCOs metro superintendent engineer informed the executive director of MahaMetro Rail Corporation Ltd about the inauguration date CIDCO engineers conducted inspections of all stations identifying shortcomings related to passenger safety and facilities which they have asked to rectify promptlyCIDCO officials have directed MahaMetro Rail Corporation to address all the issues pointed out by CIDCO engineers and provide a compliance report as soon as possible In addition to the metro the second phase of the BelapurUran railway line from Kharkopar to Uran and Digha railway station on the Trans Harbour VashiThane line are also set for inauguration The PM is highly likely to inaugurate both the line and the Digha railway station which has been ready for months The railway station is located on the Trans Harbour line between Airoli and ThaneWhen asked about the date CIDCO officials declined to comment on the record but official sources claimed that the October 30 date is tentative pending approval from the PMO1110KMLength of the Metro line