Overview
- MMRCL issued an RFP on Diwali to hire an interim consultant for the 17.4 km corridor linking Anik Depot in Wadala to the Gateway of India.
- The line is planned with 14 stations, including 13 underground and one at-grade at Anik, running via the MbPT area, Sewri, Byculla, Nagpada, Bhendi Bazaar, Crawford Market and Colaba.
- The consultant will finalise the alignment and station locations, run geotechnical and condition surveys, prepare preliminary tunnel and station designs, and draft civil tender packages.
- Plans include an integrated, vertically stacked depot at Anik that places a Metro car facility below a BEST bus depot to optimise scarce land.
- The project will follow Aqua Line 3 standards with approvals routed through the Ministry of Railways, funding is proposed under JICA assistance, and MMRCL aims to appoint the consultant by early 2026 before construction targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 subject to approvals.