Kalyan-Bhiwandi Commuters Grow Impatient as Long-Awaited Metro Rail Project Delayed.

Since the promise of a Metro Rail was first made to residents of Kalyan and Bhiwandi in 2018, weary commuters continue to wait for the construction to begin, hoping for relief from their long and uncomfortable daily travels to Thane and Mumbai. Despite the fanfare of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s groundbreaking ceremony for Metro Line 5 in December 2018, work remains sluggish at the Kalyan end, with only 80% of Phase 1 from Thane to Bhiwandi completed. The second phase, extending from Bhiwandi to Kalyan, has not even seen a tender issued yet.

The ambitious Metro project, which was envisioned to connect Thane, Bhiwandi, and Kalyan with Mumbai’s Metro Line 4, was expected to provide a quicker and safer alternative for commuters, particularly in the bustling areas of Kalyan and Bhiwandi. However, with several delays in the timeline, residents of both cities continue to wait for a glimmer of progress, such as construction work or road-digging.

In March 2022, the state government approved an underground stretch through Bhiwandi to preserve 735 buildings, resulting in a cost increase of ₹1,727 crore. Despite this, the Maharashtra Metro Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has not issued a tender for the crucial second phase of the project, leaving locals in the dark about when they can expect the project to materialize.

For residents of Bhiwandi, a city historically dependent on the powerloom industry and now a major e-commerce hub, the lack of local train services to Mumbai has long been a hindrance. Similarly, Kalyan, which has seen increasing urbanization, has been calling for an alternative transport option to ease the strain on commuters who currently face long, crowded train journeys.

The Metro Line 5 project, which spans 24.9 km from Thane to Kalyan, was initially approved in 2016 by then-CM Devendra Fadnavis, with the foundation stone being laid by PM Modi in 2018. The project was split into two phases, with Phase 1 covering the 11.68 km stretch between Thane and Bhiwandi, and Phase 2 planned for Bhiwandi to Kalyan, which includes the critical underground portion. Though Phase 1 work began in 2020 and is nearing completion, the second phase still lacks a clear timeline.

With sources suggesting that Phase 1 may be completed by the end of the year, residents remain skeptical, demanding faster progress. Local commuters, such as Viren Singh from Bhiwandi, continue to endure long journeys, hoping the Metro will alleviate their travel woes. "I thought the Metro would solve this issue, but six years later, there's still no sign of it," Singh said, expressing frustration.

Political representatives and residents in Kalyan have also called for a route revision, suggesting that a change in the proposed path could benefit a larger number of people. Additionally, many are voicing their discontent over the Metro cess imposed by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, as the promised Metro service continues to be delayed.

As both Kalyan and Bhiwandi wait for the Metro project to materialize, the frustration of residents grows, with calls for MMRDA to expedite the project and provide much-needed relief to thousands of daily commuters.

ET