PM Modi to inaugurate Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 virtually on November 3

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 on November 3 through video conferencing. Officials of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) confirmed this on Monday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be present at the event at the Balewadi stadium in Pune.

The corridor is 23.3 km long and elevated. It connects the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi with Shivajinagar, one of the city's main commercial and administrative centres. Passenger service is also expected to begin the same day, with 17 of the 23 stations opening to the public.

PMRDA Commissioner Abhijeet Choudhary said the authority has been asked to keep all preparations ready for November 3. "The Prime Minister will join the event online, while the Chief Minister and other dignitaries will be present on the spot," he said.

The decision was taken after a meeting on Monday of PMRDA officials and representatives of the project company. The meeting reviewed the condition of the corridor and the arrangements needed for the launch. A senior official said, "We discussed the readiness of the project and the operationalisation of the route fixed for November 3."

Of the 23 stations, 17 have received approval from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS). Inspection of two more stations near Balewadi has been completed, and their approval is expected soon. Four stations, RBI, Simla Chowk, Mahabaleshwar Chowk and Baner, are still awaiting approval. The authority is also working to finish the remaining work at stations 13 and 14 before the inauguration.

The official announcement of the event is expected within two days. It is waiting for the model code of conduct for the Legislative Council elections to be lifted.

The same event will see the foundation stone laid for Line 4, from Khadakwasla to Kharadi. Foundation stones will also be laid for the extensions of Line 2 from Ramwadi to Wagholi and from Vanaz to Chandani Chowk. A link connecting Line 2 and Line 4 from Nal Stop to Manik Baug is also part of the event.

PMRDA is building the line on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. It is expected to ease traffic pressure between Hinjewadi and central Pune. Thousands of IT professionals working in Hinjewadi's tech parks are also expected to benefit from the service. A Rs 426 crore plan for road improvement, traffic management and last-mile connectivity in the IT hub has also been approved.