Pune Metro Pink Line passenger services begin on 4 November, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the corridor by video link. The Pune Metro Pink Line runs for 23 kilometres from Maan and Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar, and it connects the city’s large information technology hub with its central district. Dainik Jagran English reported that 17 of the corridor’s 23 stations will open to passengers first, and the remaining six stations are expected to open in phases by January 2027.
Modi virtually flagged off a metro train on Line 3 on 3 November. He also laid the foundation stone for four new Pune Metro Phase II corridors at the same event. The combined value of the inaugurated corridor and the four new corridors is about Rs 21,800 crore, according to reports of the event. The Line 3 corridor itself was built at a cost of more than Rs 8,300 crore.
The Pune Metro Pink Line is aimed at commuters who travel each day between Hinjawadi and central Pune. Hinjawadi houses the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, where large numbers of technology workers are based. Until now, many of those workers have relied on buses, company transport and private vehicles on roads that carry heavy traffic in peak hours. The metro gives them a separate route into Shivajinagar, where passengers can reach the District Court metro station.
What the Pune Metro Pink Line route covers
The Pune Metro Pink Line corridor is fully elevated, and it runs from Maan through Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar were present for the inauguration, along with Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and Union Minister Manohar Lal. The ceremony was held at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mahalunge-Balewadi, according to reports of the event.
Passenger services were scheduled to start at 6 am on 4 November, according to the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The authority’s commissioner, Abhijit Chaudhari, had told reporters before the opening that 17 stations would open first. The phased opening means some stations on the route will stay closed for now, and passengers will need to check which stops are in service on the first days.
The corridor is the first metro project in India to be built under the design, build, finance, operate and transfer framework through a public private partnership, under the National Metro Rail Policy of 2017. That model places construction and operation with a private partner for a set period, while the public authority retains oversight of the project.
Pune Metro Pink Line staffing and power plans
A feature highlighted at the inauguration is staffing. The Pune Metro Pink Line will be operated entirely by women train operators, according to reports of the Prime Minister’s address. Around 30 per cent of the line’s energy requirement is expected to be met through solar power. Both points were presented as part of the design of the corridor, rather than as additions made after construction.
Modi also spoke about the growth of metro networks across India. He said the operational network has grown from around 248 kilometres to more than 1,200 kilometres, and that metro services are now available in 26 cities, with over one crore passengers travelling by metro each day. Maharashtra has around 175 kilometres of operational metro network, according to information shared at the event.
Fadnavis said the state government is committed to expanding metro services and improving public transport in Pune. He said the new corridors would give passengers modern and safe travel options, cut commuting time, and support trade, industry and employment in the city. The remarks were made at the inauguration event in Pune.
Four new Pune Metro Pink Line phase two corridors
The four Phase II corridors for which foundation stones were laid are Vanaz to Chandani Chowk, Ramwadi to Vitthalwadi, Kharadi to Khadakwasla and Nal Stop to Manik Baug. Together with the Pune Metro Pink Line, those routes are intended to widen the metro network across residential, commercial and employment areas of Pune.
The Phase II work is valued at around Rs 13,500 crore, according to reports of the event. No completion dates for the four corridors were given in the reports published on 3 November. The corridors will need land, construction and testing before they can open, and their progress will be watched by commuters in the areas they are meant to serve.
For passengers on 4 November, the immediate change is simpler. A Pune Metro Pink Line train now runs between Hinjawadi and Shivajinagar on a route that did not exist the day before, with 17 stations open at the start. The remaining stations, and the four new corridors, will decide how far that change reaches across Pune in the years ahead.