Metro Line 5A moves into tender stage for Kalyan and Ulhasnagar

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is moving the Metro Line 5A extension through its procurement stage, with the network to Kalyan and Ulhasnagar targeted for 2030–31. As of 4 November 2026, the authority has started the process to appoint a general consultant for the line and is preparing tender documents for civil works.

What has been approved

The Maharashtra government approved the integrated Line 5 and 5A project on 22 April 2026, with a total investment of ₹18,130.55 crore. The Line 5A component is estimated at ₹4,063.08 crore in the Detailed Project Report.

The Centre approved the revised alignment in late August 2026. Official documents place the date at 28 or 29 August, depending on the account.

Line 5A is an 11.83 km elevated line. It branches into two spurs, one to Kalyan and one ending at Ulhasnagar. Its seven stations are Durgadi, Khadakpada, Bhoirwadi, Shivaji Path, Shanti Nagar, Shivaji Chowk and Ulhasnagar. It will interchange with Metro Lines 5 and 12 and with the Central Railway suburban network at Kalyan Junction. Once the extension is included, the Line 5 corridor totals 34.21 km. It was first planned at 22.38 km.

Tenders and what is still pending

MMRDA has invited bids for general consultancy on the civil works of Line 5A, from Durgadi to Kalyan with the spur to Ulhasnagar. The tender lists a contract period of 48 months. A corrigendum to the same tender gives a bid deadline of 19 June 2026.

In June 2026, MMRDA also floated an online tender worth ₹84.34 crore for track works at the Kasheli depot. The scope covers design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of standard gauge track, both ballasted and ballastless. The work is to be finished within 20 months, including the monsoon season.

Several steps remain open. The award dates for the general consultant and for the civil-works contracts are not yet set. Land is also needed: about 16,268 square metres of government land and about 1,738 square metres of private land. Land acquisition and environmental clearances can take time on projects of this size, and either could move the timeline.

What it means for the corridor

For commuters, the first benefit is the Thane–Bhiwandi section of Line 5. It runs 12.20 km from Kapurbawdi in Thane to Dhamankar Naka in Bhiwandi. Work is nearing completion and the section is targeted to open around December 2026. Trial runs are expected by the end of 2026, and passenger service will follow only after the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety completes the mandatory inspection. No date has been set for that inspection.

The Line 5A extension is aimed at the eastern suburbs and the industrial belt. Bhiwandi has a large warehousing and logistics sector, and the metro is meant to give workers and freight operators a faster alternative to road travel. The project's planners say travel times could fall by 40 to 50 per cent on several stretches compared with road journeys.

For buyers, the line is years from service. Anyone looking at homes near the planned stations should check the exact alignment and station location against the approved plan, and should allow for the delays that land and clearance work can bring.

What to watch next

The next steps are the appointment of the general consultant for Line 5A, the award of the civil-works contracts, and the safety inspection that will decide when the Thane–Bhiwandi section opens. The date for the Kalyan and Ulhasnagar extension will depend on how quickly these steps move.