Trial run completed on Gaimukh-Kapurbawdi Metro route. Upcoming Metro service expected to benefit commuters in Gaimukh, Kasarvadavali, Waghbil, Manpada, Tikujiniwadi, Dongripada, Vijay Garden and Kapurbawdi.

• A trial run took place on September 22, 2025, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde travelling between two stations. The government was said to have indicated services would begin within three months; a later announcement discussed operating the Gaimukh–Cadbury Junction stretch by 2026.
• Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said last week that the initial route would operate only up to Kapurbawdi, with the first phase possibly running between Gaimukh and Kapurbawdi by the end of 2026. No revised station list, commissioning schedule or reason for the change was provided.
• The Thane unit of the Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar protested near Chitalsar-Manpada station. District president Manoj Pradhan, corporator Abhijit Pawar and party members criticised the delay. Pradhan alleged the trial event was presented like an inauguration for political benefit ahead of municipal elections.
• Pradhan also questioned the proposed integral ring metro project in Thane, asking what its timeline would be given Metro 4-4A’s delay.

Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik announced that the Thane Metro’s Gaimukh–Kapurbawdi corridor has completed its trial run, with operations expected to begin by December. It is expected to improve connectivity and ease road congestion for residents of Gaimukh, Kasarvadavali, Waghbil, Manpada, Tiku Ji Ni Wadi, Dongripada, Vijay Garden and Kapurbawdi, offering another option for daily travel.

Separately, several hundred residents protested the proposed revised Internal Ring Metro route, demanding restoration of the original alignment. The protest began in Swatantryaveer Savarkar Nagar with a community meeting and signature campaign; residents later formed a human chain from Aai Mataji Chowk to Lokmanya Nagar TMT Depot. They objected to the revised route through Lokmanya TMT Depot, Aai Mata Temple, Korus Road, Vartak Nagar Naka and Shastri Nagar, citing tree cutting, possible displacement of thousands and potential traffic problems.

• The Thane Ring Metro project is expected to uproot 317 trees in the Yeoor-Sanjay Gandhi National Park eco-sensitive zone.
• A forest official said the alignment will pass through the eco-sensitive zones of Majiwada, Chitalsar, Manpada, Waghbil and Gaimukh.
• The project could potentially disrupt the region’s flora.

More than 11,000 residents signed an online petition within four days to support conservation of a 193-acre forest area adjoining Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the Manpada-Tikujiniwadi region of Thane.

Environmentalists and local citizens launched an awareness campaign amid concerns over recent developments involving the forest land. Through the petition, they demand: protection of the forest, greater transparency in decision-making, and an independent assessment of environmental impact of any proposed activities.

The 193-acre forest serves as a green buffer for SGNP and plays a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity, clean air, and ecological balance. The area is a habitat for leopards and several other wildlife species protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Environmentalists warned that large-scale concretisation or non-forest activities could disrupt wildlife habitats, increase human-animal conflict, and damage ecological continuity. Loss of forest cover could worsen heat waves, flooding, and rising pollution levels.

The petition seeks: public disclosure of all decisions, agreements, and understandings related to the forest land; assurance the area will not be diverted for non-forest use; an independent inquiry into recent actions undertaken in the area; and a comprehensive scientific and environmental assessment of the entire forest tract.

The petition is expected to be submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.