A viral reel of two dust-covered Metro rakes parked under the open sky in Thane tells the story of Metro Line 4 better than any official statement: nine months after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off trial runs, the project has missed every deadline and stations remain far from complete.

The two rakes used for the September 2025 trial runs have sat between Owale and Kasarvadavli stations for nearly four months, gathering layers of dust. Videos and photographs of the dust-covered rakes on the elevated corridor have triggered sharp criticism on social media, with several users calling the pre-election flagging off an “election gimmick.”

“The rakes are in bad condition, with a thick layer of dust covering them. The least the authorities can do is keep the expensive technology under the cover of constructed metro stations,” said Raj Sudhakar, a 43-year-old mathematics professor who lives in a building overlooking the Metro tracks along Ghodbunder Road. “Till February, the rakes were being moved from one station to another. But since March, they have been left out in the open.”

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Back in September, Fadnavis had announced that three stations between Vijay Garden and Gaimukh would open to the public by December, followed by the entire Phase 1 stretch from Cadbury Junction to Gaimukh by April 2026. Earlier this year, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials reiterated that the 10.8-km stretch would become operational in the first quarter of 2026. Neither deadline has been met.

On the ground, the picture is bleak. “All the stations are incomplete,” said Sudhakar. “At Kasarvadavli, station construction work is still ongoing. Flooring has been completed at some stations, but roofs, facades and other finishing work are nowhere near completion. Work is progressing slowly and I doubt the line will start before year-end.”

While track-related work has largely been completed, an MMRDA official said in April that station finishing works would take “a few more months.” After that, the corridor will still require mandatory safety certification from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety, a process expected to take another one to two months before commercial operations can begin.

In April, the MMRDA also floated tenders for housekeeping services for 62 Metro trains across multiple corridors, including Metro Lines 4 and 4A, with the last date for bid submissions on June 4.

Work had slowed further in February after a parapet slab collapse near an under-construction Metro site on LBS Road in Mulund killed one person and injured three others. Officials clarified that the contractors handling the affected stretch were different from those executing Phase 1 of Metro Line 4.

Residents in Thane and commuters on social media have repeatedly expressed frustration over missed deadlines and repeated announcements. MMRDA officials have not provided a revised completion timeline.

Metro Line 4 connects Wadala to Kasarvadavli. Metro Line 4A is an extension from Kasarvadavli to Gaimukh.