Pune, Oct 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major milestone for Pune city's public transport system, the long-awaited Pune Metro Line-3 (Maan-Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar) will be inaugurated via videoconferencing by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 4.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Sunetra Ajit Pawar will grace the occasion as chief guests.
The ceremony will take place at 10:30 AM at the Badminton Hall of the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mhalunge-Balewadi. Actual passenger services on this line will commence at 6:00 AM on November 4, 2026.
The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority Commissioner, Dr Abhijit Chaudhari, told reporters on Saturday that Pune Metro Line-3 is a 23.203-kilometre fully elevated metro corridor, popularly known as ‘Puneri Metro’ and the ‘Pink Line’. Originating at Maan, the route passes through Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjawadi to connect with Shivajinagar, a major administrative and commercial hub of Pune.
The total estimated cost of the project, including land acquisition and utility shifting, is Rs 8,313 crore. It has been executed on a DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model under the Central Government’s 'National Metro Rail Policy, 2017'.
As per the concession agreement with PMRDA, the project is being implemented by Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed through a joint venture between TRIL Urban Transport Private Limited and Siemens Project Ventures GmbH.
Out of the total 23 stations on this line, 17 stations will be opened to passengers starting November 3. Among these, seven stations will open with a single staircase operational.
These include Station No. 1 (Maan), 2 (Maan-MIDC Circle Phase-2), 3 (Maan-Bus Depot), 5 (Hinjawadi Phase-2 Circle-1), 6 (Padmabhushan Chowk), 21 (College of Agriculture), and 23 (District and Sessions Court). The remaining ten stations will have both staircases open to commuters. These include Station No. 4 (Hinjawadi Phase-2 Circle-2), 7 (Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, Hinjawadi), 8 (Hinjawadi Phase-1), 9 (Wakad Chowk), 10 (Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mhalunge), 11 (MITCON, Balewadi), 12 (R. K. Laxman Museum, Balewadi), 17 (Aundh), 18 (Sakal Nagar), and 19 (Savitribai Phule Pune University).
Among the remaining six stations, work on Station Nos. 13 and 14 is in its final phase and will be completed by the end of November 2026.
The remaining four stations (Nos. 15, 16, 20, and 22), along with their staircases, will be completed and commissioned in phases by January 2027.
To ensure seamless onward travel after exiting the metro, multi-modal integration is being implemented. Dedicated pick-up and drop-off points are being set up right outside the stations for PMPML buses, rickshaws, app-based taxis (Ola, Uber), and e-bikes. Parking facilities for two-wheelers and four-wheelers are also being made available near metro stations to ensure safe vehicle parking.
Priority has also been given to pedestrian and cyclist safety alongside road traffic. For this purpose, dedicated cycle tracks, wide footpaths, pedestrian crossings, and foot overbridges are being constructed. This will significantly help reduce traffic congestion, particularly in the Hinjawadi area, said Dr Chaudhari.
The entire corridor has been inspected by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO). Final safety approval was granted by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) on July 23, 2026, for the first phase of 12.60 km from Maan (PMR-1) to R. K. Laxman Museum, Balewadi (PMR-12), and on September 23, 2026, for the section covering the remaining five stations. For station security, 350 personnel from the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC) have been deployed.
An advanced passenger information system and ticketing system have been developed to assist commuters with trip planning, station navigation, and a hassle-free travel experience. A joint mobile app has been developed for passengers travelling on both Maha Metro’s existing lines and the newly launching Metro Line-3.
Under this project, a total solar power generation capacity of 7.60 MW has been installed—6.10 MW at metro stations and 1.50 MW at the car depot. This green energy will fulfil nearly 30% of the project's overall power requirements. All trains on Pune Metro Line-3 will be operated by around 100 women train pilots. Furthermore, about 50% of the total station staff, including station controllers, ticketing staff, and station attendants, will be women.
Chaudhari stated that this initiative underlines a strong commitment to women empowerment, gender equality, and increasing female participation in modern transport. The project will help ease daily traffic congestion in Hinjawadi IT Park, Aundh, Baner, Balewadi, Mhalunge, Ganeshkhind Road, and Shivajinagar. Around 2 to 2.5 lakh citizens will use this metro service daily.
Source: IANS
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