Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar metro to open to passengers on Nov 4; fares Rs 12 to Rs 62, 17 stations first

The wait of Pune commuters troubled by traffic jams is over. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the long-awaited Pune Metro line between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar through video link. Passenger service on the route will begin on November 4. Thousands of people working at the Hinjewadi IT Park are set to get major relief.

On the timetable: from November 4, people can travel on the line. The first metro will leave Mann station at 6 am. Trains will run every 6 minutes at peak hours and every 12 minutes at other times. The last metro from Mann towards District Court will leave at 10.30 pm, while the last metro from District Court towards Mann will leave at 11.40 pm.

Officials estimate that about 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh passengers will use the line daily. A total of 23 stations have been built on the route, but passenger service will begin at only 17 of them in the first phase. Work on the remaining 6 stations is not yet complete, so they will stay closed to passengers in the first phase.

In the first phase, the metro will stop at these 17 stations: Mann, Mann-MIDC Circle, Mann Bus Depot, Hinjewadi Phase 2-Circle 2, Hinjewadi Phase 2-Circle 1, Padmabhushan Chowk, Shri Shivchhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk-Hinjewadi, Hinjewadi Phase 1, Wakad Chowk, Shri Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex-Mhalunge, Mitcon-Balewadi, R. K. Laxman Museum-Balewadi, Aundh, Sakalnagar, Savitribai Phule Pune University, College of Agriculture and District Court, Pune.

On fares, tickets on the new line cost more than on the Maha Metro lines now running. On the routes from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to Swargate and from Vanaz to Ramwadi, the fare is a minimum of Rs 10 and a maximum of Rs 35. For the Mann-Shivajinagar line, the fare has been set at a minimum of Rs 12 and a maximum of Rs 62.

The three routes compare as follows. PCMC to Swargate is 16.6 km, with a fare of Rs 10 to Rs 35. Vanaz to Ramwadi is 14.6 km, with a fare of Rs 10 to Rs 35. Mann to Shivajinagar is 23.2 km, with a fare of Rs 12 to Rs 62.

That means passengers on the new line will pay Rs 2 more for the minimum ticket and Rs 27 more for the maximum ticket. These fares were announced by Dr Abhijit Choudhary, commissioner of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, at a press conference on October 31.

Line 3 of Pune Metro, the Pink Line, runs more than 23 km from Mann-Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar. More than Rs 8,300 crore has been spent on the project. It will make travel between the Hinjewadi IT Park and Shivajinagar easier. It is expected to be a good option for daily commuters in Hinjewadi, Wakad, Balewadi and Shivajinagar. The project is also seen as important for strengthening public transport between the older and newer parts of Pune.