PM Narendra Modi to lay foundation stone for new Mumbai Metro lines on December 18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for Metro 5 (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan) and Metro 9 (Dahisar-Mira Bhayander) on December 18 along with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The event in Kalyan will also see the launch of a housing scheme for 60,000 affordable homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (Cidco).

Sources said the PM will head to Pune the same day for the launch of Metro corridors in the neighbouring city.

Metro 5 and 9 will give a much-needed boost to connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The 24-km long Metro 5 line will have 17 stations with an expected ridership of 2.29 lakh passengers by 2021.

Metro 9, on the other hand, will also provide interconnectivity between the existing western express highway, Western Railway, Metro 2A (Dahisar to DN Nagar), and Metro 7 between Andheri (East) and Dahisar (East).

To speed up these lines, the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) was also accorded the status of a special planning authority (SPA) earlier this year. This allows the agency freedom to create the required infrastructure for the projects in the area without seeking permission from other agencies.