THANE: The release of tenders worth ₹4,564 crore for the next phases of Metro Line 5 and the Metro 5A extension has sparked celebrations among Shiv Sena leaders in Kalyan and Ulhasnagar. Elected representatives described the development as a major Diwali gift for commuters across the region.




In Kalyan, KDMC mayor Harshali Chaudhari-Thavil and Shiv Sena city president Ravi Patil welcomed the announcement, crediting the sustained efforts of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Kalyan MP Dr Shrikant Shinde for pushing the project forward.




Patil said Metro Line 5 was approved in 2016 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone in 2018. With work on the first phase progressing and its trial run commencing on Tuesday, she said the decision to extend the network towards Khadakpada in Kalyan was particularly significant.




“We had demanded that Metro Line 5 be extended to Khadakpada. I am happy that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and MP Dr Shrikant Shinde have fulfilled this demand and tenders have now been issued,” Patil said.




In Ulhasnagar, mayor Ashwini Kamlesh Nikam and Shiv Sena functionaries celebrated the announcement by bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets. UMC House Leader Arun Aashan said the tender announcement had brought festive cheer to residents even before Diwali.




“The chief minister, deputy chief ministers and our MP Dr Shrikant Shinde have given Ulhasnagar residents this good news ahead of Diwali. The city is already in a festive mood,” Aashan said.




The proposed expansion will extend Metro Line 5 beyond Bhiwandi, with the next sections covering Dhamankar Naka-Ranjnoli and Ranjnoli-Bhoirwadi via Durgadi. The Metro 5A corridor is planned to connect Bhoirwadi with Kalyan railway station and extend towards Ulhasnagar and the Ambernath area.




Considering the congested roads in Bhiwandi, the Dhamankar Naka-Temghar stretch is proposed to be underground, while the other sections will be elevated. A double-decker corridor integrating metro and road infrastructure is also planned along parts of the route.




Once completed, the network is expected to improve connectivity between Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and Ambernath, offering commuters an alternative to congested roads and strengthening links with the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region .




At a press conference in Ulhasnagar, MP Shrikant Shinde addressed party functionaries and the media through a video call, announcing that Metro 5A would enter Ulhasnagar via Kalyan as a double-decker structure, with an elevated flyover above the road and the metro line above it.




Shrikant Shinde further said that with the tender now issued, the contract would be awarded within two months, after which construction work would begin on the ground.