Cidco to expand proposed Belapur-Khandeshwar metro service

Cidco plans to expand the proposed Belapur-Khandeshwar metro service up to Kalyan and Ulhasnagar to improve the connectivity between these suburbs and Navi Mumbai.
"We are on track to complete phase I of the first 23.4-km CBD Belapur to Khandeshwar Metro project. We now plan to extend the line to Kalyan and Ulhasnagar to improve the connectivity between these three suburbs," City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) Chairman Pramod Hindurao told reporters here today.
Cidco is developing the Metro project in three stages, comprising the 11.1-km Belapur-Pendhar section, the 8.35 km Khandeshwar-Taloja section and the 2-km Taloja-Pendhar interconnection corridor.
The construction work on the first phase of the line is expected to be completed by 2016, Hindurao said.

"The work on the first phase will be completed by 2016. Out of the Rs 2,800 crore approved for the project, works worth Rs 2,200 crore have already been completed. The remaining Rs 500 crore worth works will be soon completed," he said.
The Belapur-Pendhar corridor missed the original deadline of 2014 as Cidco decided to increase the width of the coaches so as to align with the Mumbai Metro.

For this change in plan, Cidco gave time to its rolling stock vendor Ansaldo to rework the coaches, from the earlier planned width of 2.9 meters to 3.2 meters, which resulted in the delay.

According to a Cidco official, 73 per cent of the civil work of viaduct is completed, while nearly 55-60 per cent work on the 11 stations is still pending. Besides, 15-20 per cent of the civil work of the metro depot at Taloja is also completed.
This project is being executed by a consortium led by Ansaldo STS of Australia, Tata Projects and Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive of China and CSR.
"We will ensure that all safety norms are met to enable safe journey to commuters. Also, the fares fixed will be affordable," he added.