Mumbai Airport to Thane

The Mumbai Airport, which was earlier bifurcated in the Sahar Airport for international transit and Santa Cruz Airport for domestic transit, is now merged into what is called as the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is India’s and South Asia’s largest and most crucial aviation hub in terms of passenger as well as cargo traffic. It is connected to most of the major cities on the globe with a plethora of passenger, cargo and charter airlines operating on a regular basis from its premises. On the other hand, Thane is a major northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek in Thane region. It is an important part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and is adjacent to the Mumbai Suburban district. The Thane railway station is particularly famous for the fact that on 16 April 1853, the first ever passenger train service in India was inaugurated between Bori Bunder (Now renamed as the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus), Mumbai and Thane. Today, after more than 150 years, Thane is still one of the most important railway stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The Distance between Mumbai Airport and Thane

By conservative estimates, the distance between the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and Thane is around 36 kilometers, i.e. 22 miles.

Mumbai Airport to Thane by Train

The best way to travel to the city of Thane from Mumbai airport is to avail of the local train service. The traveler, after coming out of the airport, has to take an auto rickshaw to the nearest railway station; that would be the Andheri suburban railway station on the Western Railway Line Service.  From the Andheri railway station one has to catch a southbound train to the Churchgate railway station and get down at the Dadar suburban railway station which is an important junction on the Western and Central Railway Lines. From Dadar one has to switch over to the Central Railway Line and board a northbound train to the Thane railway station. If you are not exactly the adventurous kind, then do not travel by this route during the peak office hours, i.e. between 8 am to 11 am and 4 pm till about 9 pm. Things could get pretty rusty if you are travelling with a bit of luggage.

Although Andheri station is the nearest railway station from the Mumbai airport a better option would be to take an auto rickshaw to Kurla or Ghatkopar suburban railway station (both of these are on the Central Suburban Railway line) instead of Andheri and then get on a local train to Thane railway station. The auto rickshaw ride to Kurla or Ghatkopar railway station would cost around Rs 60 to Rs 70. However it undoubtedly saves about 45 minutes to 1 hour of the travelling time. An additional benefit is that the traveler gets to catch a direct train to Thane railway station thus rendering the change over at Dadar unnecessary.

Mumbai Airport to Thane by Road

There are very few Best buses that have a direct route to the Teen Haath Naka which is the entry point in the jurisdiction of the Thane Municipal Corporation. BEST route number 399 and 496 Ltd are two of the main routes of direct travel.  After getting off from the bus the traveler can catch a Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) bus or an auto rickshaw to the Thane railway station which is merely 10 to 15 minutes away. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), also called as the ST bus service, also runs regular buses between Mumbai and Thane.

Taxis from Mumbai are allowed into Thane. The pre-paid taxi service available at the Mumbai airport is the most comfortable way of getting to Thane. The fare you pay at the counter at airport includes the toll you need to pay when you enter Thane from Mumbai. Hiring the ordinary taxi would cost you anything beyond Rs. 120 depending on the traffic situation and the luggage you are carrying.

Content updated in January 2023