Pune Metro Line 3 from Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar to open to commuters on November 4; fares Rs 12 to Rs 62

The metro that people in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have long awaited is ready to open. Pune Metro Line 3, or the Puneri Metro (Pink Line), runs from Maan-Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar and is being seen as a milestone in tackling traffic congestion in the Hinjewadi IT area. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the route on November 3. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Ajit Pawar will be present at the event.

Daily passenger services will begin at 6 am on November 4. Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Abhijit Chaudhari announced this at a press conference at the PMRDA headquarters in Akurdi. Additional Metropolitan Commissioner K. Manjulakshmi, Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL) chief executive officer Anilkumar Saini and Chief Engineer (Special Projects) Rinaj Pathan were also present.

The entire route is 23.203 km long and fully elevated. Built on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis using the DBFOT model under the Centre's National Metro Rail Policy 2017, it is the country's first metro project of its kind. PITCMRL, a company formed in partnership by Tata and Siemens, has spent about Rs 8,313 crore on the line.

The route has 23 stations, of which 17 are being opened to passengers in the first phase. At seven of them, including Maan, Hinjewadi Phase 2 Circle-1, Padmabhushan Chowk, College of Agriculture and District Court, only one staircase will be open initially. At the other 10 stations, both staircases will be open. Work on stations 13 and 14 will be completed by the end of November. The remaining four stations will be opened in phases by January 2027. The entire route has received the required safety certificates from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CMRS).

PMRDA has fixed fares by distance in line with the concession agreement. The fare is Rs 12 for 0 to 2 km, Rs 25 for 2 to 4 km, Rs 37 for 4 to 8 km, Rs 43 for 8 to 12 km and Rs 49 for 12 to 18 km. For distances beyond 18 km, the fare is Rs 62.

The fares are higher than those of Maha Metro. On Maha Metro's existing lines (Pimpri to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi), the maximum fare is capped at Rs 35, while the Puneri Metro's maximum fare is Rs 62. In the 2 to 8 km slabs too, it is about Rs 5 to Rs 12 costlier than Maha Metro. The increase is attributed to the PPP model and rising capital costs, but it will place an additional burden on IT employees and other professionals who commute daily.

The first train will leave at 6 am. Trains will run every 6 minutes at peak hours and every 12 minutes at other times. The last train from Maan station to District Court will leave at 10.30 pm, while the last train from District Court to Maan will depart at 11.40 pm. District Court station offers a direct interchange with Maha Metro's Line 1 and Line 2. Passengers will also have a joint app and the NCMC card.

All Puneri Metro trains will be driven by about 100 women train pilots. Women will make up more than 50 per cent of station controllers and other staff. The project has 7.60 MW of solar power capacity, and 30 per cent of its electricity needs will be met from solar energy. Use of GGBS technology in construction has prevented 28,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Dr Abhijit Chaudhari, Metropolitan Commissioner, PMRDA, said: "The Puneri Metro will prove to be a lifeline connecting a fast-growing IT hub like Hinjewadi with the central part of the city. This service will substantially reduce the daily traffic congestion in the Hinjewadi, Baner, Aundh and Shivajinagar areas. We estimate that about two to two and a half lakh people will use this metro every day."

Anilkumar Saini, chief executive officer, PITCMRL, said: "To give passengers a fast and comfortable journey, Alstom's state-of-the-art air-conditioned trains, CBTC signalling and a 750-volt DC third-rail system have been commissioned. With the joint ticketing app for Maha Metro and Line 3, people will be able to travel seamlessly."

Rinaj Pathan, Chief Engineer (Special Projects), PMRDA, said: "The greatest importance has been given to maintaining environmental balance in building the project. Along with avoiding 28,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, 5,500 trees have been planted and 750 trees successfully transplanted. The Pashan ramp at Vidyapeeth Chowk on Ganeshkhind Road will also be completed by the end of December."