Pune Metro Line 3 opens: how to buy tickets via WhatsApp, app, card or counter

Pune, November 4, 2026: Passenger services have begun on Pune Metro Line 3, which links Maan in Hinjewadi with the District Court in Shivajinagar. Commuters now have several ways to get a ticket. A QR-coded ticket can be booked on WhatsApp, the Pune Metro mobile app can be used, tickets are available at station counters and vending machines, and travel is also possible with the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), or One Pune Card.

The 23.203-km elevated corridor has been built by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). It connects the Hinjewadi IT hub with central Pune. It is expected to give thousands of IT professionals, students and daily commuters an alternative to travelling by road.

For WhatsApp booking, the official Pune Metro number is +91 94201 01990. Save it on your phone, open WhatsApp, send "Hi" to the verified Pune Metro account and tap "Book Now". Then choose "Line 3" from the options of Lines 1 and 2, and Line 3. Pick the origin and destination stations from the drop-down menu, choose single or group journey and enter the number of passengers. The fare is displayed automatically. Tap "Proceed" to see the ticket summary, then tap "Pay Online" and choose UPI or card as the payment method. An order confirmation arrives on WhatsApp, and payment must be made within five minutes. Once payment is made, the metro e-ticket with a QR code arrives on WhatsApp itself. This removes the need to stand in a queue at the counter.

The mobile app is available on both Android and iOS. Download the official Pune Metro app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store, create a profile or log in, and select "Book Ticket". Then choose Line 3, fix the boarding and alighting stations, enter the number of passengers, confirm the journey details and pay digitally on the payment gateway. The QR ticket is generated in the app and has to be scanned at the automatic fare collection gate. The app also carries information on stations, fares and passenger services.

QR tickets are issued through online booking channels such as WhatsApp and the app. The QR code has to be shown and scanned at the entry gate, and the same code is checked on exit. Passengers are advised to keep the ticket easily accessible on their phone throughout the journey.

Frequent travellers can use the One Pune Card, or NCMC. It is a contactless smart card meant for cashless travel across different public transport systems. To get one, go to the ticket counter at a metro station, ask for an NCMC card, complete the required registration and verification formalities, pay the fixed card issuance fee and recharge the balance as needed. Tap the card at the entry gate before boarding and tap the same card again at the exit gate at the destination station. The fare is deducted from the balance. Those who already have an eligible NCMC card can use it on Line 3, provided the card is compatible with the fare collection system. This way a separate QR ticket is not needed for every journey.

Those who do not prefer digital booking or do not have a smartphone can buy a ticket at the station counter by naming the boarding and alighting stations and paying. Stations also have automatic ticket vending machines, where the fare can be checked by selecting the origin and destination stations and paid by the available methods.

The Line 3 fare is distance-based. Tickets start at Rs 12 and go up to Rs 62 for the entire corridor. The announced slabs are: up to 2 km, Rs 12; 2 to 4 km, Rs 25; 4 to 8 km, Rs 37; 8 to 12 km, Rs 43; 12 to 18 km, Rs 49; and above 18 km, Rs 62. In a trial booking on the WhatsApp facility, a single journey ticket from District Court Pune Line 3 to Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex showed a fare of Rs 49. Passengers can see their fare after selecting stations.

District Court station is the interchange between the new Line 3 and the existing Pune Metro network. Passengers can change here between Line 1 (Purple Line, PCMC to Swargate), Line 2 (Aqua Line, Vanaz to Ramwadi) and Line 3 (Maan to District Court). However, the Line 3 ticketing system is separate from the existing Maha Metro corridors. According to Maha Metro Managing Director Shravan Hardikar, passengers travelling across different metro systems will for now get two tickets with separate QR codes, and will have to scan their respective QR codes at the entry gates of both systems to continue the journey. Passengers with NCMC cards will tap the card at the relevant entry and exit gates.

A fully integrated single ticketing system for all three corridors is being prepared. According to Maha Metro's announcement, the integration is expected to take another three to four months. Until then, IT professionals and other passengers can plan their travel between Hinjewadi, Baner, Aundh and Pune by choosing whichever method suits them: WhatsApp, mobile app, QR code, NCMC card, vending machine or counter.