Overview
- On Thursday MMRDA announced Metro Line 5 will be extended by an 11.83 km 5A spur, taking the corridor to 34.21 km and making it one of the largest metro links in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
- Phase 1, the 11.9 km Thane–Dhamankar Naka stretch with six stations, is in advanced construction and being readied for the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety inspection with a year‑end commissioning target.
- The full project is divided into three parts with estimated costs of Rs 6,741 crore for Phase 1, Rs 7,326 crore for Phase 2 (including an underground Bhiwandi station), and Rs 4,063 crore for the new 5A spur.
- MMRDA says the corridor will integrate with suburban rail at Thane and Kalyan, interchange with Metro Line 4 at Balkhum and Line 12 at Kalyan Junction, include the Kasheli depot and feeder buses, and cut road travel times by about 40–50 percent for workers and traders.
- Near‑term financing steps are under way with an Expression of Interest for a Rs 9,950 crore loan for metro projects and bids scheduled to open on 26 June 2026 as MMRDA moves from building to commissioning and operations planning.