Modi inaugurates Pune Metro Line 3, lays foundation for four Phase 2 corridors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, November 3, inaugurated Line 3 of the Pune Metro, known as the Pink Line. He joined the event virtually. At the same function he laid the foundation stone for four new corridors under Phase 2 of the city's metro network. The total estimated cost of the Pink Line and the Phase 2 works is around Rs 21,800 crore.

The ceremony took place at the Balewadi Sports Complex, where the Prime Minister addressed the gathering by video link. The event had been scheduled for 12.30 pm. Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, and Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol were among those present, along with several other state leaders.

The Pink Line is about 23 km long and has been built at a cost of more than Rs 8,300 crore. It runs between Maan and the District Court metro station, giving the Hinjewadi IT hub a direct link to Shivajinagar. Passenger service will begin on Wednesday, November 4. Thousands of IT professionals and other daily commuters will get a direct public transport option from west Pune to the heart of the city. The line will connect with the existing metro network, and interchange facilities will let passengers travel on to other parts of Pune. Officials hope this will cut dependence on private vehicles, ease road congestion and bring down vehicular pollution.

The line also has an energy plan. About 30 per cent of its power requirement is to be met from solar power.

Phase 2 carries an estimated investment of about Rs 13,500 crore and covers Lines 2A, 2B, 4 and 4A. Together, the four corridors are expected to add 46 km to the city's metro network. Lines 2A and 2B have a combined length of about 12.75 km. Line 2A will run from Vanaz to Chandni Chowk, while Line 2B will link Ramwadi with Vitthalwadi. Line 4 is 25.52 km long and will run from Kharadi to Khadakwasla. Line 4A, between Nal Stop and Manik Baug, will be 6.12 km long.

These corridors are meant to take the metro to Kharadi, Magarpatta, Hadapsar, Swargate, Manik Baug, Nanded City, Pune Cantonment and Warje. The Ramwadi to Vitthalwadi extension will improve access to the fast-growing residential and commercial areas of Kharadi and Wagholi. The new corridors are also to be tied in with the existing metro and with intercity bus services, with interchange points planned at Swargate, Nal Stop and Kharadi Bypass.

In his address, Modi said reliable public transport makes city life easier and improves people's lives. He said Pune has always contributed to the country's development and that better infrastructure will strengthen its role in a developed India. He noted that the metro has now reached 26 cities and carries more than one crore passengers every day. Closing his speech, he wished the people of Pune a happy Diwali in Marathi, and said a better transport system can support economic activity, create opportunities and help reduce inequality.

Chief Minister Fadnavis called the day an important milestone and said the project had travelled from foundation-laying to completion. He credited Tata and Siemens for their part in building the corridor and pointed out that a large number of people travel to and from the Hinjewadi IT area daily.

Deputy Chief Minister Shinde described the line as a Diwali gift for Pune. He said taking part in both the foundation-laying and the inauguration of the expansion made the occasion special for him. According to him, Modi himself will inaugurate the remaining corridors whose foundations were laid on Tuesday. Shinde also remembered the major role of the late Ajit Pawar in the development of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and said projects had earlier got caught in many hurdles while the present government is focused on moving them quickly.

On the staffing of the service, Shinde said 50 per cent of the metro staff are women and that they are not limited to staff posts but also operate trains. He joked that men are now a minority in the metro, which drew laughter in the hall. Earlier project details had described the line's trains as being run entirely by women operators; the Deputy Chief Minister's figure of half the staff is the one given at the ceremony.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar said the metro link completes a project envisioned by the late Ajit Pawar. She recalled that he had gone to Hinjewadi to review the work, and that doubts had been raised about whether it would ever be completed. She thanked the Prime Minister for inaugurating the line.

Mohol called the line a major addition to Pune's transport infrastructure. He recalled that the first phase of the city's metro had also been inaugurated in the presence of Modi and Fadnavis, and said Tuesday's event was another step in expanding the network.

Once service starts on November 4, those travelling between Maan, Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar will have a new way to avoid road congestion. With Line 3 open and Phase 2 work now formally begun, Pune takes another large step in building its mass rapid transit system, linking major employment centres, residential areas and commercial hubs.