Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar metro likely to open on November 3, with Modi inaugurating online

There is good news for the thousands of people who travel daily between the Hinjewadi IT Park and the city in Pune. The inauguration of the Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar metro corridor (Line 3), which has been put off repeatedly, now appears to be getting a date. November 3 has been pencilled in as the probable date.

According to the information available, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the metro through video conferencing on that day. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to be present at the event in Pune. No official announcement has been made so far. Preparations are under way to begin passenger services at 17 of the corridor's 23 stations. IT employees who struggle with traffic jams in Hinjewadi are therefore expected to get major relief.

On Monday, representatives of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the project company held a meeting. It reviewed the current status of the project, the remaining work and the preparations needed to start passenger services. According to officials, instructions have been given to prepare keeping the probable date of November 3 in mind. It has also been stated that Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the line online and Chief Minister Fadnavis will attend the Pune event.

The metro corridor from Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar is about 23 km long and elevated. A total of 23 stations are planned on it. Preparations have been made to start passenger services at 17 of them in the initial phase. Services at the remaining stations may begin in later phases, once work is completed and the necessary approvals are received.

The corridor is expected to provide a direct metro link between the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar. Shivajinagar is a major business and administrative centre. The project has been built on a public-private partnership basis and is seen as an important milestone for Pune's public transport system.

The inauguration of the corridor has been postponed several times before. Delays in construction, the safety clearance process and the time taken to decide on the inauguration programme affected the project. The model code of conduct for the Legislative Council elections had also pushed back the public inauguration event. Uncertainty over the Prime Minister's proposed visit to Pune had raised questions about the November 3 inauguration as well. The news that an online inauguration is being prepared has now raised hopes that the metro will start.

Employees of the Hinjewadi IT Park and passengers who travel between the city and the park every day face traffic jams on the road. Once the metro starts, they will have another public transport option. This is expected to ease the pressure of vehicles on the road.

For now, all eyes are on the November 3 inauguration. The final date for the metro to start running, the stations in the first phase and the passenger service timetable will become clear after an official announcement. Whether this repeatedly stalled project finally gets off the ground will be known in the next few days.