Metro Line 4 Trials In September; Launch Targeted This Year

18 Aug 2025 CW Team

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday announced that trial runs for Mumbai Metro Line 4 will begin in September, with commercial operations targeted by the end of the year.

Speaking at the 31st Varsha Marathon in Thane, Shinde said work on Thane’s internal metro—providing interchanges with Line 4—is also progressing to strengthen last-mile connectivity for commuters in Thane and neighbouring areas.

The Wadala–Kapurbawdi corridor, extended to Gaimukh as Metro 4A and linked to Mira–Bhayander (Metro 10), will form a seamless loop with other lines across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Progress and challenges:

Officials at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) report that 85 per cent of Line 4’s works are complete, including the recent installation of a 58-metre steel span at Pantnagar–Ghatkopar bus station. Activists and opposition leaders remain sceptical about the timeline, citing delays along the Ghodbunder stretch and the incomplete Mogharpada car shed. To mitigate the depot constraint, authorities plan to move 48 metro coaches from the Mandale depot (Line 2B) to the elevated section between Gaimukh and Cadbury on Line 4, enabling trial runs and pre-commissioning without waiting for the new depot.

Thane roads and infrastructure:

Beyond the metro, Shinde outlined steps to decongest Thane’s roads by rerouting freight and outbound traffic from Gujarat, Nashik and JNPT via the Mumbai Freeway extension and Coastal Road, diverting vehicles towards the Saket and Fountain Hotel junctions. He also urged Thane municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao to deploy the Rs 30 billion budget—sanctioned during Shinde’s tenure as Chief Minister—to preserve green spaces, uphold the city’s “City of Lakes” identity, and ensure pothole-free roads.

Infrastructure Urban

27 Sep 2025

Mumbai is on the verge of complete transformation

Pratap Padode: Maharashtra’s infrastructure plan seems to be rolling out project after project: the Navi Mumbai International Airport, Coastal Road, Shaktipeeth Expressway, Worli-Sewri Connector and Vadhavan Port. What is driving this momentum?Ashwini Bhide: Maharashtra has always been at the forefront of infrastructure development. Our vision is to be a $ 1 trillion economy by 2030 and $ 5 trillion by 2047. To achieve this, massive investments in infrastructure are essential. Being over 50 per cent urbanised, our cities must be future-ready. We are also addressing regional disparities, focu..

Forging a Balance

The ongoing boom in real estate and infrastructure was bound to spill over to the steel sector. Rating agency ICRA estimated demand for domestic steel to have grown at 10 per cent in FY25, but to moderate to 7-8 per cent in FY26 on the back of a slowdown in public capital expenditure.Homemade steelAbout two-thirds of India’s domestically produced steel is consumed by infrastructure and construction, and nearly a third for government projects, observes Shalabh Chaturvedi, Managing Director, CASE Construction Equipment, India & SAARC region. Real estate predominantly uses only domestic steel..

Equipment India Awards 2025

On September 4, 2025, at the Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, Anand Sundaresan, Director on the Board and Advisor to the Chairman at Ammann India, received the Equipment India Lifetime Achievement Award 2025, as the hall rose and gave him a standing ovation. For an industry that has seen him steer organisations, inspire teams and raise standards, this moment was more than recognition – it was gratitude.Sundaresan’s acceptance struck a chord with warmth and humility: “I accept it with pride and dedicate it to my family, colleagues and the entire construction industry. This aw..