Line 5 (Mumbai Metro)

Line 5 (Orange Line) of the Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit metro line in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. When completed, the 24.9 km line will connect Thane with Kalyan via Bhiwandi, with 17 stations. The line will be fully elevated except for a 3 km underground section in Bhiwandi.

The line is being built in two phases. The first phase, from Thane to Bhiwandi, is currently under construction. The second phase, from Bhiwandi to Kalyan, is in the planning stage. Line 5 is expected to open in 2025.

A proposed 20.75 km extension of Line 5, from Kalyan to Taloja, is part of Orange Line 12.

Planning
In March 2016, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation proposed building an elevated suburban rail corridor from Kurla to Bhiwandi via Thane at an estimated cost of inr 75000000000. On 19 October 2016, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, approved a plan to build 24 km metro rail line from Thane to Kalyan via Bhiwandi. The line would have 17 stations and was estimated to cost inr 84160000000. A future extension to Taloja was also proposed. The project was approved by the Maharashtra Cabinet on 24 October 2017. The detailed project report for Line 5 was prepared by a consortium of D’Appolonia and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

The project received Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) in June 2017. A 3.9 km stretch of Line 5 passes through CRZ areas along the Kasheli bridge crossing the Ulhas river, and also near Durgadi Fort. The MMRDA utilized a drone to carry out survey work for Line 5. The drones were fitted with 360 degrees camera that provide up to 3 millimetres (0.12 in) accuracy. The aerial survey takes less time than a regular survey, achieves greater accuracy and helps protect against false claims for compensation.

Two potential routes were proposed for Line 5's alignment. The first route passed through more densely populated areas of Thane, Bhiwandi and Kalyan, while the second route passed through their outskirts. The Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation demanded that the first route be taken in order to benefit more people. The MMRDA began carrying out survey work for the line by December 2017. The same month, the MMRDA stated that it had chosen the first route as the alignment for Line 5. Survey work was interrupted due to protests by some shopkeepers and residents of Bhiwandi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Line 5 in Kalyan on 18 December 2018. In June 2019, the MMRDA stated that it had decided to start Line 5 from Kapurbawdi station, which would serve as an interchange with Line 4. The original plan had been to build a separate station 500 metres away from the Line 4 station. Systra France, Systra MVA Consulting (India) Pvt Ltd and Consulting Engineers Group Ltd were appointed as general consultants for the project on 6 August 2019.

In November 2021, the MMRDA decided to construct the depot for Line 5 at Kasheli in Thane, instead of the original plan to build it at Kongaon MIDC, after local residents opposed the plan. The agency invited tenders for the construction of the depot on 20 October 2022. Ritwik Projects Pvt. Ltd. was awarded a inr 5890000000 contract to build the Kasheli depot in September 2023.

Underground section
In February 2020, State Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde stated that he had requested the MMRDA to alter the alignment of Line 5 to bypass several religious sites, and also to extend the line to Shahad. MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner R.A. Rajeev stated that the agency would finalise a new route. In March 2022, Shinde stated that a stretch of the line passing through Bhiwandi would be underground in order to avoid affecting 735 buildings. The State Urban Development Department approved building a 3 km section of Line 5 between Dhamankar Naka and Temghar underground on 6 June 2023. The underground section is estimated to increase the cost of the project by inr 17270000000.

Extensions
The MMRDA approved an extension of Line 5 from Kalyan to Dombivali and Taloja on 21 November 2018. The elevated corridor would be 20.75 km long with 17 stations and was estimated to cost inr 58650000000. The extension is called Line 12. The detailed project report for the extension was prepared by the DMRC. The extension was approved by the State Government on 23 July 2019.

In March 2023, the MMRDA proposed a 7.7 km extension of Line 5 from Kalyan to Ulhasnagar.

Construction
Construction of the 24.9 km line was divided into two phases. The first phase is a 11.68 km section between Kapurbawadi in Thane and Dhamankar Naka in Bhiwandi. The second phase is a 11.8 km section between Bhiwandi and Kalyan, which includes a 3 km underground section between Dhamankar Naka and Temghar.

Phase 1 – Thane to Bhiwandi
Afcons Infrastructure was awarded the contract to construct the first phase. This included the elevated viaduct, the viaduct to integrate Line 5 with Line 4, and seven elevated stations at Kapurbawdi, Balkum Naka, Kasheli, Kalher, Purna, Anjur Phata, and Dhamankar Naka on 7 January 2020. Construction began in February 2020. The first pier cap was erected near Balkum in Thane on 22 January 2021.

One construction worker died after being electrocuted at a construction site in Thane on 25 May 2021. Police registered first information reports against the site supervisor and a crane operator charging them with "causing death by negligence". The first marine pile cap was placed on Kasheli Creek in October 2021. The metro viaduct crossing the Kasheli creek is 550 metres long, and consists of 13 piers, of which 9 are in the creek and 5 are on land. The viaduct is 15 metres above the water and has 13 spans each with a length of 42.3 metres.

In 2021, five construction workers were injured by falling iron rods at the site. The MMRDA said that 65% of the work had been completed in November 2022, and 70% in December 2022 including 64% of work on stations. Construction of the 550 metre viaduct over Kasheli Creek was completed on 22 January 2023, taking a total of 123 days. In the same month, Afcons stated that it completed 9.3 km of viaducts. The MMRDA stated that 79% of civil work on the first phase had been completed on 6 June 2023.

Phase 2 – Bhiwandi to Kalyan
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is appointed to finalize the alignment and to prepare the revise DPR.

Stations
Line 5 will have 17 stations and all of which are under construction as of April 2024.

Cost
Line 5 is estimated to cost inr 84160000000. The cost was primarily borne by the MMRDA. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development provided a total loan of inr 23572500000 for the project.