Pune: Hinjawadi Metro Opening Hangs In Balance After PM Modi’s Visit Is Postponed

Pune: Commuters waiting for the Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 will have to wait longer for clarity on its opening, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to Pune district has been deferred. The metro corridor, which was originally scheduled for completion in March 2025, is yet to receive clearance for all its stations.

The Prime Minister was expected to visit Baramati on November 3. With the visit now postponed, the inauguration of the 23-km metro line has also been thrown into uncertainty. November 16 has emerged as a possible alternative date, but the revised programme remains unconfirmed.

The corridor is a key transport project for Pune’s IT workforce. It is designed to link Hinjawadi, a major employment hub, with Shivajinagar and improve travel between the western parts of the city and the centre.

The delay comes as the project continues to face pending safety clearances. According to the available details, the first 12 km received provisional approval from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety in July. However, clearance has been granted to only 17 of the line’s 23 stations so far.

Construction setbacks and delays in securing approvals have repeatedly pushed the project’s timeline beyond its original March 2025 target. The latest uncertainty over the inauguration has added another hurdle to plans for bringing the corridor into service.

Modi’s proposed Baramati visit was also scheduled to include the inauguration of Prerna Sthal at Vidya Pratishthan. The memorial houses a statue of Lord Buddha and exhibits honouring prominent personalities. The institution is headed by Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar.

The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, responsible for executing the metro project through a public-private partnership, has not responded to queries about the revised inauguration plans.