Mumbai Metro Line 11 to connect Wadala to Gateway of India: All about 17.4-km fully underground corridor

Mumbai Metro

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) on Monday issued tenders to hire an interim consultant for the proposed Metro Line 11, marking a major step toward extending Mumbai’s underground metro network.

This fully underground 17.4-km corridor will run from Anik Depot to Gateway of India, traversing some of the most congested and heritage-sensitive areas of east and south Mumbai. The line is expected to follow parts of old tramway and BEST bus corridors, according to a report by Mid-day.

The new line will feature 14 stations, 13 underground and one at-grade, connecting neighbourhoods such as Wadala, Byculla, Nagpada, Bhendi Bazaar, and Colaba. The alignment will start at Anik Depot near Wadala, pass beneath the Mumbai Port Trust area, and tunnel under the city’s historic precincts before emerging near Gateway of India, making it the southernmost extension of Mumbai’s metro system.

Metro Line 11 major highlight: Integrated depot

A major highlight of the project is the integrated depot at Anik, which will combine a Metro car depot at lower levels with a BEST bus depot above. The design includes vertical stacking to maximise land use in Mumbai’s densely built eastern industrial belt and leaves room for potential property development on top.

The interim consultant will finalise the alignment and station locations, conduct geotechnical and condition surveys, prepare preliminary tunnel and station designs, and draft civil tender packages. They will also plan traffic diversions, muck disposal, and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) strategies, crucial for construction through the crowded island city.

Timeline and technical challenges

MMRCL plans to appoint the interim consultant by early 2026, enabling preparatory work to progress alongside JICA loan negotiations. Full-scale construction is expected to begin late 2026 or early 2027, once government approvals are secured.

The project will follow MMRCL’s Aqua Line 3 standards, adhering to Indian and international safety and design codes, with approvals routed through the Ministry of Railways.

Once completed, Line 11 will link eastern suburban commuters and the Green Line 4 corridor directly to Fort and Gateway of India, areas currently accessible only via congested surface roads.

A senior MMRCL official described it as “Mumbai’s most technically challenging Metro line yet,” citing the difficulties of tunneling through dense, heritage-rich neighbourhoods beneath century-old structures.