Mumbai: A crucial safety certificate for the 11.1km Navi Mumbai Metro is expected to come on Friday. With this certification arriving, it will mark the rail-based public transportation project fit for public use. This metro rail between Belapur Railway Station and Pendhar has been in construction for 12 long years now. The bhoomipujan or groundbreaking ceremony was done way back in May 2011.
A senior state official confirmed that the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), the final pre-requisite to launch of commercial operations, is expected today.
Hereafter, a date to have a political event to claim credit for executing the project will be held, the date of which is yet to be finalised.
CMRS final set of inspections completed on April 25
Earlier in October 2021, CMRS had issued a go-ahead only for the Kharghar-Pendhar stretch of the metro link leaving behind the Belapur to Kharghar stretch for some crucial engineering correction works.
According to sources, the CMRS had asked the implementing agency to replace the bearings on the pillars on a majority of the stretch of the alignment, thereby delaying the project further. The CMRS concluded the final set of inspections on April 25 this year. The inspections commenced on April 17 and involved that of rolling stock, electrical, civic, security and others.
Phase 1 of project
Phase 1 of Navi Mumbai consists of 11 stoppages covering a distance of 11.1km from Belapur to Pendhar (near Taloja).
While this metro work was kick-started by City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), during the course of 12 years, CIDCO even had to blacklist one of the contractors and later rope in MahaMetro in January 2021. Hereon, the MahaMetro will take charge of the operation and maintenance of the route for the next 10 years.
The first fare slab of Navi Mumbai Metro 1 will be Rs10 to travel a distance of 2km. Thereafter, to commute 2 to 4km, the fare will be Rs15. For every subsequent 2km, there will be a rise of Rs5. Beyond 10km, it will be Rs40.
Pointers
LINE: Belapur to Pendhar (Line-1)
DISTANCE: 11.1Km
STATIONS: 11
STATION NAMES: Belapur, Sector-7 Belapur, Science Park, Utsav Chowk, Sector 11 Kharghar, Sector 14 Kharghar, Central Park, Pethapada, Sector 34 Kharghar, Panchnand and Pendhar Terminal
COST: Rs 3,400 crore
EXPECTED RIDERSHIP: 8,000 during peak hours
