The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) is set to hand over the $1bn Navi Mumbai Metro Rail project to the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro) in India.
After facing major delays due to the pandemic and other issues, Cidco, which was implementing the Navi Mumbai rail project, decided to leave the project, reported Financial Express.
The Cidco board approved the decision following meetings with Maha Metro officials.
The Maha Metro board will discuss and approve the additional work that it will have to take over.
Maha Metro is currently working on the Pune Metro and Nagpur Metro projects.
A Maha Metro official said that the company will complete the civil construction work on Line 1 of the Navi Mumbai rail project.
The Line 1 between Belapur and Taloja was scheduled to be completed this month.
This section of the project costs around $409m.
The work is being implemented in phases with two additional lines expected to be included.
Although the Pune Metro project started much later than the Navi Mumbai project, Maha Metro could make significant progress with the 31km line project, which is worth $2bn.
Maha Metro managing director Brijesh Dixit told the publication that he was aiming for a 2021 start for the Pune Metro operations. Currently, 50% of the work is completed.
He also informed that the first of the coaches will reach Pune by May.
The first 6km trial run from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to Phugewadi Station has been finished successfully.
Maha Metro is yet to receive regulatory approvals from the Research, Designs and Standards Organization, Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety and Railway Board.
The work on the elevated corridor 1 is likely to be completed in August while that of underground sections will be finished next year.
