27 January,2026 09:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The corridor will feature 20 stations, including six underground. Representational Pic/File
The Maharashtra Cabinet's Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday approved a 35-kilometre Metro Line 8 also known as the Gold Line connecting Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) with the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, reported the PTI.
The project is estimated to cost over Rs 22,000 crore, with a total outlay of Rs 22,862 crore, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.
The corridor will feature 20 stations, including six underground and 14 elevated stations. Land acquisition for the project is expected to cover 30.7 hectares, costing around Rs 388 crore.
The 35-km route will include 9.25 km underground, from Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 to Ghatkopar East, while the remaining 24.63 km will be elevated, stretching from Ghatkopar West to Navi Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 on the Metro Gold Line.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed that all land acquisition and necessary approvals be completed within six months, and that construction should be finished within three years of receiving approvals, according to the PTI.
The committee also instructed concerned departments to accelerate the extension of the Samruddhi Expressway on the Nagpur-Gondia and Bhandara-Gadchiroli routes, ensuring that projects do not face delays, as per the PTI.
In preparation for the upcoming Kumbh Mela, the committee approved the Nashik city ring road project, spanning 66.15 km, at a cost of Rs 3,954 crore.
Additionally, the panel cleared the upgrade of the 85.76-km Navegaon More-Konsari-Mulchera-Hedri-Surjagad highway in Gadchiroli district into a four-lane cement concrete road, aimed at improving mineral transportation.
Soon, Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be made mandatory at Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) fuel outlets in the state, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Tuesday, reported the PTI.
The Maharashtra minister asked officials to give priority to setting up EV charging stations at all proposed retail fuel outlets on MSRTC land in the state.
According to the PTI, he said that a phased shift to electric buses is already in progress. The directions were issued during a high-level meeting chaired by the minister, who also heads the MSRTC.
Sarnaik said India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 must be supported by a sustainable and eco-friendly transport system.
"Future travel will be based on electric energy, and the ST Corporation is committed to building the required infrastructure from today itself," he said, reported PTI.
Acknowledging that nearly 90 per cent of the existing ST fleet currently runs on diesel, Sarnaik said a phased transition to electric buses is underway and that e-buses will be prioritised in future procurements.
"EV charging stations will be made mandatory alongside diesel and CNG facilities at fuel pumps to be established on MSRTC land through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. This approach will not only create a steady source of revenue for MSRTC but will also ensure the availability of both conventional fuel and electric charging facilities at a single location," he said, reported PTI.
Sarnaik added that the availability of both conventional fuel and electric charging facilities at a single location would give a major boost to the future transport system.
"This is not just a matter of convenience, but a visionary step towards environmental protection," the minister said.
(with PTI inputs)
