Mumbai Metro: Thane District Set To Host Two Key Car Depots For The City's Expansive Metro Network

The Thane district is set to witness the construction of two metro depots by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

The MMRDA has successfully procured essential land for the development of both the metro depots, which will be crucial for the operation, maintenance, and repair of metro trains, reports Hindustan Times.

This marks a significant step in ongoing development of the Mumbai metro network.

Among these, a total of 59.63 hectares of land in Dongri, near Uttan has been handed over to MMRDA for the depot of Metro line-9, running between Dahisar East and Mira Bhayander, and line-7A that connects Andheri East to the international airport.

Originally planned at Murdha village, the car shed location was changed due to opposition from local residents.

In a recent meeting, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde approved the transfer of the Dongri land to MMRDA, and it was subsequently handed over by Thane district collector Ashok Shingare.

Additionally, the Thane collector has transferred 47 hectares of land in Niljepada, Thane district, for the depot of Mumbai Metro Route-12 — which will run from Kalyan to Taloja.

This advancement marks the commencement of the construction phase for depots associated with two major metro lines, located within the Thane district.

“We are grateful to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for providing land for the metro projects,” said Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, metropolitan commissioner of MMRDA.

“All the metro projects are progressing fast, and with the acquisition of these plots, the work will be completed soon. The plots are very important for the smooth operation, maintenance and repair of trains,” he added.

MMRDA officials stated that the plots have been transferred to MMRDA free of cost by the state government through the Thane district collector. This transfer will help prevent cost escalation and delays in the construction process.

The first of these depots is currently being constructed at Mandale, Mankhurd, and similar plans are in place for Kanjurmarg and Kasheli.

The Mandale depot will serve the elevated metro Line-2B. Kanjurmarg serves Line-6, which connects Swami Samarth Nagar in Andheri West to Vikhroli.

The Mumbai Metro Network

The Mumbai Metro has been envisioned to ease travel within the city and also to support the expansion of the city itself.

By offering extensive connectivity through its 14-line network, the transit system will connect the densely populated Mumbai city and the broader metropolitan area. 

Once built in its entirety, it will span over 300 km and will have more than 200 stations.

Currently, three metro lines are operational spanning over 50 km, and the seven other routes — Line 2B, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7A, and 9 — are at various stages of construction.

MMRDA has been working to finish work on the rest of the network and the construction of metro depots are crucial for the implementation and maintenance of the metro lines.

The authority is also actively planning to connect the line-12 (Kalyan-Taloja) with metro line-5 (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan), which will allow smoother travel between Thane and Navi Mumbai.

It is studying the integration of Navi Mumbai Metro station with Metro line-12 to improve connectivity in the region.

This connection will enable commuters to travel from Thane to Navi Mumbai in just a few minutes.