Mumbai Metro Line 4 construction has entered a key operational phase in Thane, with preparations under way to place metro coaches on the tracks between Modella Check Naka and Teen Hath Naka. The work will trigger night-time traffic diversions on the stretch from Wednesday, according to a report by Navbharat Times – Mumbai.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is preparing to bring a metro coach near the Bharat Petroleum pump in the Modella Check Naka area and move it on to the tracks. The process is expected to be completed within two days. Thane traffic police have granted permission for the work after the MMRDA sought approval for temporary changes to vehicle movement.
Vehicles travelling from Mumbai and Wagle Estate through Route 16 towards Teen Hath Naka Junction and passing through Modella Check Naka will not be allowed to enter the affected point during the night-time work. Instead, traffic will be moved through an additional lane created on the opposite side of the road. The arrangement is intended to keep vehicles moving while the metro coach placement work takes place.
The work is part of the ongoing trial-run activity on the Wadala-Ghatkopar-Kasarvadavali Metro 4 corridor. The section described in the report extends from Modella Check Naka in Thane to Gaimukh on Ghodbunder Road. Preparations are currently focused on the track between Modella Check Naka and Teen Hath Naka, where the coach is to be placed.
The report said the corridor has faced concerns over the pace of construction. In September, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Gaimukh station and reviewed trial runs on Metro 4 and Metro 4A. Tests were conducted at locations including Gaimukh Junction, Gaimukh village, Ghodbunder Road, Kasarvadavali and Vijay Garden stations.
The metro service has not started despite the passage of a year since those activities, the report said. Last month, office-bearers of the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Sharad Pawar held a protest over the delay. The report did not provide a revised public commissioning date for the full corridor.
Senior officials told Navbharat Times – Mumbai that the administration is working towards starting metro services at selected stations in Thane in December this year. The account does not specify which stations would be included or whether the proposed start would cover the complete corridor or only an operational section.
The corridor is intended to provide another public transport option for passengers travelling between Thane and Mumbai. At present, commuters on this movement rely heavily on Central Railway local trains and roads. The report said the metro could help reduce pressure on local trains and offer an alternative to road journeys, although the extent of any such shift will depend on the stations opened, service frequency and connectivity with existing transport systems.
For now, the immediate impact for road users will be the night-time diversion between Modella Check Naka and Teen Hath Naka. The next operational milestone is the placement of the metro coach on the track, followed by the administration’s proposed December start at selected Thane stations.
