Mumbai Port Trust will have to bear cost of extending Metro 4: MMRDA

In March 2017, the MMRDA had proposed to extend the 32-km Metro 4 (Wadala to Kasarvadavli via Ghatkopar and LBS Road) line up to GPO in south Mumbai via MbPT land along the eastern waterfront. (File)

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has asked the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) to bear the cost of extending Metro 4 from Wadala to GPO. With the MbPT having requested the MMRDA to construct an underground extension, the agency has now told the port authority that the latter will have to incur a cost of up to Rs 1,000 crore per km.

In March 2017, the MMRDA had proposed to extend the 32-km Metro 4 (Wadala to Kasarvadavli via Ghatkopar and LBS Road) line up to GPO in south Mumbai via MbPT land along the eastern waterfront.

A senior official from the MMRDA said the extension would be 8 km long and the cost is estimated to be Rs 300 crore per km for an elevated route and upward of Rs 750 crore for the underground part. A decision on whether the extension will be elevated or built underground is yet to be taken. According to sources, the MbPT will have to incur a cost of almost Rs 3,000 crore for the extension.

The extension has been proposed as the MbPT plans to revamp the port land, including plans to draw a large number of visitors to the eastern waterfront areas. If the Metro 4 is extended till GPO, south Mumbai will have two Metro corridors — Metro 4 to the eastern suburbs all the way to Thane and the under-construction Metro 3 that will cater to the western suburbs. Metro 4 corridor is currently planned as a 32-km stretch with 32 stations. An extension will add 8 km.

Reliance Infrastructure Limited with ASTALDI and Tata Projects Limited with China Harbour Engineering Company are the contractors for the project.