By Arosh John | Founder – John Real Estate (MahaRERA Reg. No. A51700001835) | Editor-in-Chief – Thane Real Estate News (TREN)
Thane–MMR | October 2025
The proposed Metro Line 8, also known as the Gold Line, has recorded its first significant administrative milestone with the Detailed Project Report (DPR) now formally submitted to the Maharashtra Government. Designed to connect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai with the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), the corridor is planned to be a 35 km high-speed metro link, creating India’s first airport-to-airport rapid transit connection.
Official Confirmation: Government-Led Scope
- The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) lists Metro Line 8: CSMIA to NMIA (~35 km) under its official Metro network plan.
- The DPR for Line 8 appears in MMRDA’s Transport & Communications documentation, marking its entry into the government review stage.
- CIDCO, which is handling NMIA development, has confirmed coordination for airport connectivity infrastructure, while MMRDA remains the executing authority for the metro corridor.
Cost, Stations and Funding Model – As Per DPR Submission Stage
- Estimated Project Cost: ~₹23,000 crore
- Route Length: ~35 km
- Proposed Stations: Around 20 metro stations, including 6 underground and 14 elevated, based on DPR references.
- Funding Structure: Proposed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) likely to be split between State and Centre, subject to cabinet clearance and financial sanction.
- Notified Alignment Zone (as per DPR map references): CSMIA – Kurla – LTT – Mankhurd – Vashi – Nerul – Belapur – Panvel – NMIA
(Final station names will be confirmed only after state notification of the alignment.)
Why This Metro Corridor Is Strategically Important
Once executed, the Airport-to-Airport Gold Line will cut current road travel time from 90–120 minutes to approximately 30–45 minutes, enabling seamless transit between Mumbai’s existing airport and the new Navi Mumbai hub.
For the MMR, this is more than just a metro line — it acts as a mobility corridor connecting major residential, commercial and logistics zones across the eastern growth belt.
What This Means for Thane, Navi Mumbai and Beyond
While Metro Line 8 does not pass directly through Thane, Metro Lines 4, 4A and 5 already position Thane as a strategic metro interchange hub connecting onwards to Navi Mumbai. Once NMIA becomes operational and Line 8 is active, Thane residents will indirectly access both airports through metro interchange zones, enhancing liveability, investor confidence and long-term capital value potential.
This interconnected metro grid, rather than individual direct lines, mirrors the urban transit logic of global cities such as Dubai and Singapore, where airport-city connectivity is achieved through interchange efficiency rather than single-line dependency.
About the Author
Arosh John is a MahaRERA-registered real estate consultant (Reg. No. A51700001835) and Editor-in-Chief of Thane Real Estate News (TREN). With over a decade of advisory across Thane–MMR real estate, premium resale inventory, villas, NRI transactions and infrastructure-led investment corridors, he is known for delivering clarity-driven, compliance-focused market intelligence to serious homebuyers and investors.
Disclaimer
This post is based on information published by MMRDA and CIDCO, where Metro Line 8 (CSMIA–NMIA) is listed and its DPR has been submitted for state-level review. All cost and station details referenced are from DPR-stage documents and remain subject to policy approval, financial sanction and alignment notification. All project names, authority references and trademarks belong to their respective owners.
