Mumbai to Navi Mumbai airport in just 30 minutes: ₹23,000 crore metro plan unveiled

The Maharashtra government is planning to make travel between Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) faster, greener,

and more seamless. The multi-crore transport project aims to slash commute time between the two airports by an hour, with an estimated investment of approximately ₹23,000 crore.

Mumbai is already celebrating the success of its new Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line). Now, the city is taking another step to improve connectivity by planning a direct metro link between CSMIA and NMIA, the Times of India reported.

The new line is expected to reduce travel time between the two airports from 70 to 90 minutes by road to 30 minutes. The much-awaited NMIA is scheduled to commence operations by December 25, 2025. While the airport is modern and ready for passengers, it currently lacks a mass transit system.

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The proposed Metro Line 8, also called the Gold Line, will span approximately 34.89 kilometers and serve as the rapid transit link between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports.

It will have 20 stations, including six underground and 14 elevated, covering key areas and will act as the backbone of a twin-airport system for the growing Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The line will connect with at least six other metro lines, suburban rail, bus terminals, and the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT). The key locations are Phoenix Mall, SG Barve Marg, Kurla, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Garodia Nagar, Baiganwadi, Mankhurd, Vashi, Sanpada, Juinagar, LP Junction, Nerul 1, Nerul 2, Seawoods, Apollo Hospital, Sagar Sangam, and Targhar, before reaching Navi Mumbai International Airport West and finally Navi Mumbai International Airport Terminal 2.

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Metro Line 8 is expected to witness 1.03 million passengers daily by 2031, according to Times Now that claimed that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Metro Line 8 has already been submitted to the Maharashtra state government by City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited. CIDCO will manage the project along with a private company or consortium under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.