Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 opens after missing eight launch dates

Pune, November 3, 2026: The Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 has finally been inaugurated, but the road to the opening was not easy. Dates were pushed back repeatedly, construction ran into hurdles, safety approval was held up and there were administrative delays. The 23-km corridor is set to bring relief to thousands of people who commute daily between the IT hub and Pune. Before the inauguration on Tuesday, it had missed eight proposed launch dates.

The project was initially to be completed in 40 months, with a deadline of March 25, 2025. The concessionaire then sought an extension of 543 days, citing concurrent delays during construction. The deadline was extended to March 31, 2026.

One major reason for the delay was that work had to be carried out on congested main roads. This required permission for barricading, traffic arrangements and the shifting of existing utilities, including high-voltage power lines and underground services.

In August 2025, officials of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) had acknowledged that delays in getting barricading permission and incomplete utility shifting had affected the pace of construction. Heavy traffic and VIP movement on the main roads also reduced the hours available for uninterrupted work. An integrated double-decker flyover also had to be built between University Chowk and E-Square junction, which increased the need for coordination.

Even after much of the work was done, the metro could not open to passengers. It needs the approval of the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS). In July 2026, officials were waiting for this safety clearance, so the launch was delayed further. Inspections were under way, but passenger service could not begin without the regulator's approval.

After the safety clearance came in July, people hoped the metro would open soon. But another hurdle arose in September, when the Election Commission announced elections to the graduates' and teachers' constituencies of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. The model code of conduct came into force in the constituencies concerned and continued until October. This affected plans for a public inauguration.

PMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Choudhary had also said that the authority was waiting for a date for the inauguration from the Prime Minister's Office. The authority also had to seek guidance from election officials before going ahead with the inauguration event. By September 24, 2026, the corridor had missed eight proposed launch dates over the previous five months.

The 23.203-km corridor has been built on a public-private partnership (PPP) model at an estimated cost of Rs 8,313 crore. It has 23 stations in all, from Maan in Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the corridor virtually on November 3, 2026. Passenger service is to begin on November 4, initially at 17 stations. The remaining stations are expected to open in phases, and the target for the entire corridor is January 2027.

Compared with the heavily congested roads of Hinjewadi-Baner-Shivajinagar, the metro is an important alternative for thousands of IT professionals and daily commuters. However, the repeated postponements have also raised questions about project planning, coordination between agencies and the execution of large urban infrastructure projects in Pune.