Proposed Metro Line 8, the ‘Gold Line’, aims to sync Mumbai’s dual airports with a 30-minute run

Mumbai’s long-awaited airport-to-airport Metro connection is finally taking shape. The proposed Metro Line 8, or Gold Line, will offer a direct link between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which opens on December 25. The need for a mass rapid link has now become urgent, with road travel between the two hubs currently taking 70 to 120 minutes, often longer during peak congestion.

Maharashtra Government has approved the broad framework for the project. The 34.89-km corridor is expected to cost around ₹23,000 crore and will be delivered via a public–private partnership model. City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) Maharashtra will lead construction with support from a private consortium, following the build-operate-transfer structure used for Mumbai Metro Line 1. 

As per reports, CIDCO’s Detailed Project Report has already received clearances from the Urban Development and Finance departments, with 20% viability gap funding proposed from both the Centre and the State.

• Metro Line 8 will include 20 stations: 6 underground and 14 elevated

• The route will run from CSMIA Terminal 2 to NMIA Terminal 2.

• The planned stations are: CSMIA T2, 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, Targhar, NMIA West and NMIA T2

• Daily ridership is expected to touch 10.3 lakh by 2031

• Travel time will reduce from nearly two hours to around 30 minutes between the two airports

• Estimated construction timeline: Roughly 6 years from the start of work.

• Implementation model: Public–Private Partnership (PPP)

Although the project framework is in place, tendering is yet to begin. Once bids open, official construction timelines and commissioning milestones will follow.