Thane: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis-led executive committee of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), on Friday, approved the detailed project report (DPR) for
extension of the Wadala-Kasarwadavli
metro line till Gaimukh.
The 2.7km-long extension called as the Metro-4A corridor, will add two more stations - Gowniwada and Gaimukh - to the 32km-long Wadala-Ghatkopar-Mulund-Thane-Kasarvadavali Metro-4 corridor. The authority also sanctioned Rs 949 crore for the project and recommended the same to the state government for its approval.
"The dividing
line between Mumbai and its metropolitan region is getting thinner. We have approved the DPR for the Gaimukh extension of the Wadala- Kasarwadavli route and are also bringing another metro corridor - Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro-5 - to the metropolitan region," said Fadnavis.
Metropolitan commissioner UPS Madan said the two-station extension will add about 1.5 lakh riders to the 8.7 lakh commuters that will be carried by the Wadala-Kasarvadavali Metro-4 corridor.
It may be recalled that TOI was the first to report about the MMRDA plans to develop Gaimukh into a transport hub as the MMRDA has plans to connect the area with Bhayander and Kalyan from the stretch in the near future.
Officials said the demand for a direct link between Dahisar, Bhayander and Kalyan or Thane was always being discussed considering the heavy passenger density here that presently relies only on road connectivity. The proposed extension of the metro lines till Gaimukh has revived the discussions with officials who are now busy sketching the feasibility for converting a metro hub at Gaimukh.
Residents from the Western suburbs or Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan and suburbs can alight at Gaimukh station and access the corresponding line to reach their respective destinations without even having to switch over to another mode. The hub could be similar to the existing Thane, Kurla or Dadar railway stations wherein commuters get the option to switch over from the Central line to the transharbour, harbour routes or western line and viceversa.
The chief minister had announced plans to extend the Dahisar metro till Gaimukh passing through Mira-Bhayender coinciding with the simultaneous plans to extend the Wadala Kasarwadavli metro 4 line in July last year.
