Kalyan-Bhiwandi Metro Delayed Progress Leaves Commuters Frustrated After Six Years
Residents of Kalyan and Bhiwandi, once hopeful for a better transport future, are growing increasingly frustrated as the Metro project that was promised to ease their daily commute continues to stall. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the groundbreaking ceremony for Metro Line 5 in 2018, the reality of a quick fix to the area’s transport woes seems further away than ever. Despite the promise of a modern metro to connect these bustling towns to Mumbai and Thane, work on the project is yet to show significant movement, especially on the all-important second phase.
Metro Line 5 is set to connect Kapurbawadi junction in Thane with APMC Market in Kalyan. But as of now, nearly six years after the ground-breaking ceremony, the first phase of the project — stretching from Thane to Bhiwandi — is about 80% complete. The second phase, connecting Bhiwandi to Kalyan, however, has not even started, leaving commuters to wonder when, if ever, their promised transportation solution will come to life. The first phase, which spans 11.68 km from Thane to Bhiwandi, has made progress, and MMRDA sources suggest that it may be ready by the end of this year. However, uncertainty lingers, as the tender for the second phase, stretching from Bhiwandi to Kalyan, has still not been issued. A major complication in this phase is the 3 km underground stretch through Bhiwandi, which was approved by the state government in 2023 to protect local buildings. But even after this approval, there are still no signs of work beginning.
The residents of Bhiwandi, in particular, feel the brunt of this delay. This town, known for its powerloom industry and as a logistics hub for major e-commerce players, has long struggled with inadequate transportation infrastructure. Despite its importance in Maharashtra’s economy, Bhiwandi has lacked direct local train services to Mumbai, leaving its residents dependent on crowded, unreliable road transport. The Metro project was seen as a lifeline — a modern and efficient way to reach Thane and Mumbai more comfortably. Instead, their hopes have been dashed as time passes without meaningful progress. Viren Singh, a Bhiwandi resident who works in Ghatkopar, shared his frustration. “It takes me over two hours to reach my office every day. When the Metro work started, I was hopeful it would ease my commute, and I even decided not to leave the city for a place with better transport links. But it’s been six years, and there’s still no sign of it being finished.”
In Kalyan, some locals and political figures are pushing for changes to the Metro route. They argue that if the line were rerouted via Birla College Road, it could serve more residents and be more beneficial to the city. The lack of communication from the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRDA) regarding these requests has left many feeling unheard. Adding to the dissatisfaction, Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation began collecting a “Metro cess” from builders just after the 2018 bhoomipujan ceremony. However, despite this financial contribution, the promised Metro service remains a distant dream. With the pace of progress remaining slow, and no clear timeline for completion, Kalyan and Bhiwandi’s residents are left in limbo. They continue to wait for the infrastructure that was promised to alleviate their transport struggles and offer a faster, safer, and more comfortable commuting option. As the delays pile up, one can only hope that the government and MMRDA will deliver on the long-overdue promise of Metro Rail to these underserved areas.
