Mumbai Metro Line 4 Update

Mumbai's most-awaited east-west metro corridor has a fresh timeline, and it's a mixed bag for commuters and homebuyers along LBS Marg. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is now aiming to begin partial operations between Gaimukh and Cadbury Junction in November 2026. This revised target comes after the corridor missed multiple earlier deadlines, with services on a section of the route originally planned for January 2026 and further expansion by March 2026.

Metro Line 4 is a 32.32 km fully elevated corridor connecting Wadala to Kasarvadavali in Thane, running largely along LBS Marg and the Eastern Express Highway. With 30 stations planned, it is designed to link Wadala, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Mulund, Kanjurmarg, Vikhroli, Thane and Kasarvadavali in a single ride, cutting through some of Mumbai's most congested suburban stretches.

On the ground, progress has been visible. Construction of Metro Line 4 has now advanced beyond 84 percent, according to MMRDA data, with a major milestone reached recently when a 56-metre steel span weighing more than 450 tonnes was installed above the Pant Nagar bus depot in Ghatkopar East, linking Pier P280 and P281. Another significant steel segment, a 48-metre, 325-tonne span, was installed earlier this year at Kapurbawdi Junction on Ghodbunder Road, underlining steady progress on the viaduct works.

The project's history, however, shows how ambitious the original schedule was. When the Wadala-Kasarvadavali corridor was approved by the state cabinet, MMRDA officials had projected the line would be operational by 2021-22. That target has since moved multiple times, and the full Wadala-Kasarvadavali stretch is currently targeted for completion by August 2026, though the latest update suggests partial sections may open in phases through the rest of the year rather than as one complete stretch.

For daily commuters, the payoff is substantial once operational. A journey between Wadala and Kasarvadavali that currently takes 60-75 minutes by road is expected to be cut down to just 30-40 minutes on the metro. This kind of time saving is already reshaping how homebuyers and investors view micro-markets like Bhandup, Mulund, Kanjurmarg, and Vikhroli, which sit directly on this corridor.

Connectivity gains extend beyond just the Green Line itself. Metro Line 4 is planned to interconnect with the Eastern Express Highway, Central Railway, Monorail, and other metro corridors including Line 2B, Line 5 (Thane-Kalyan) and Line 6, effectively knitting together a large part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region into a single transit network.

What happens next is largely procedural but critical: trial runs are already underway on sections of the corridor, and MMRDA is exploring interim measures such as using inspection pits after Gaimukh station so that trials can continue even before the permanent depot is fully ready. Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) approval remains the final gate before any passenger service can begin.

For homebuyers evaluating projects along this belt, from Bhandup to Kalyan and Thane, the metro's progress is a key factor in long-term value. As the corridor moves from construction to commissioning, localities that were once considered peripheral are increasingly being viewed as well-connected extensions of central Mumbai.