Monorail from Thane to Bhiwandi to be reality

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) will float tenders for the second monorail, Thane-Kalyan-Bhiwandi, by end of next month. The authority has completed a feasibility study which was being carried out to find out the necessity of such a transport system which would ease the burden on the existing modes of public transport in the area.

The second monorail—unlike the first one which is under construction between Chembur and Jacob Circle via Wadala in Mumbai—will be on a public private partnership (PPP) basis. The 30-km route will have almost the same number of stations and will cost around Rs3,750 crore.

Joint commissioner Ashwini Bhide recently held meetings with the commissioners of Kalyan-Dombivli municipal corporation along with city engineers and a consultant. “In the last four decades, the population of the city and the metropolitan region has seen a tremendous growth, putting great pressure on the public transport system. Hence, the MMRDA has planned the metro and monorails which will act as support capillaries to the lifeline of Mumbai, the local trains,” said Bhide.

She also added that the monorail will be extended from Kalyan to Badalapur in the next phase.