October 18, 2025: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has submitted the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Rs 23,000 crore Mumbai Metro Line 8 — also known as the Gold Line — to the Maharashtra government for evaluation and approval. The 34.89-km corridor aims to establish a seamless high-speed metro link between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The proposed line will feature 20 stations, including 14 elevated and 6 underground, connecting key areas such as Kurla, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Mankhurd, Vashi, Nerul, and Seawoods before reaching NMIA. Once operational, travel time between the two airports is expected to drop from nearly 90 minutes by road to just 40–45 minutes.
CIDCO projects that the Gold Line will handle an estimated 1.03 million passengers daily by 2031. The metro will be developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with both the state and central governments contributing 20% each as viability gap funding (VGF), and the remaining investment made by a private partner on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.
Following state cabinet scrutiny, the DPR will be sent to the Public Investment Board and subsequently to the Union Cabinet for final approval, after which construction is expected to begin.
Envisioned as a cornerstone of Mumbai’s integrated transport network, the Gold Line will connect with six other metro corridors, the suburban railway, and multiple bus routes. The project is expected to ease congestion along major arterial routes such as the Eastern Express Highway and Sion-Panvel Highway, while advancing Mumbai’s goal of becoming a global aviation and financial hub with world-class urban connectivity.
Source: Oneindia
