The Gold Line, also known as Metro 8, connecting the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, is back to point as the new government plans to decide the executing agency for this crucial infrastructure project.

Currently, there is no mass rapid transit system (MRTS) connecting the two airports, and the Metro 8 corridor, envisaged under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) metro master plan, aims to fill this gap.

The project was the subject of deliberations ahead of the assembly elections to determine which agency would take care of its implementation, as the route spans both Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

While the MMRDA and the state government supported the execution of the project by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) through the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro), the then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, preferred that the MMRDA take charge of the 35-kilometer corridor.

“The then chief secretary and the MMRDA were inclined for Cidco to execute the project via Maha Metro as majority of the route passes through Navi Mumbai,” a state government official said.

However, Shinde was unable to finalize the decision during his tenure.

With the Navi Mumbai International Airport expected to open next year, the newly formed government under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is now expected to fast-track the Metro 8 project.

The metro line, estimated to cost Rs 15,000 crore, is designed to accommodate a daily traffic of nine lakh passengers, underlining its importance for Mumbai and for Navi Mumbai’s infrastructure.

The final decision on the executing agency is crucial to ensure timely completion of the project, especially with the imminent inauguration of the Navi Mumbai Airport.

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