Pune Metro Expansion Towards Katraj & Chandni Chowk Gains Pace – Here's All You Need To Know About All 8 New Stations

Pune: Pune Metro has started major expansion work on new underground and elevated corridors connecting Katraj and Chandni Chowk with key parts of the city. Officials said the project is expected to significantly improve connectivity and is likely to be completed by 2028 or 2029.

Construction is currently underway on two separate Metro extensions under Phase 1 expansion. The first project involves the underground extension of Metro Line 1 from Swargate to Katraj, while the second includes the elevated extension of Metro Line 2 from Vanaz to Chandni Chowk along the Mumbai-Bengaluru bypass.

Eight New Metro Stations

Officials said a total of eight new Metro stations will be developed under the expansion project.

The underground Swargate-Katraj corridor will include stations at Market Yard, Bibwewadi, Padmavati, Balaji Nagar and Katraj. The Katraj station will serve as a major junction connecting the Pune-Mumbai highway, the Mumbai-Bengaluru bypass and the Katraj-Kondhwa Road.

As the underground alignment passes through densely populated areas, traffic diversions and road management measures have already been introduced in several locations. Authorities have also shifted some PMPML and BRTS bus stops near the construction sites to nearby footpaths to continue passenger movement during the work.

Officials said the existing Metro Line 1 between PCMC and Swargate has already been operational for the past few years, and the ongoing extension will further expand the reach of the Metro network towards the southern parts of the city. The extension is also ongoing from PCMC Bhawan to Nigdi, where three stations will be there.

‘Work Going Steadily’

Pune Metro spokesperson Chandrashekar Tambekar said underground construction work between Swargate and Katraj is progressing steadily. He added that traffic around proposed stations at Market Yard and Bibwewadi has been reorganised to minimise inconvenience to commuters.

Authorities said two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) will soon be assembled at both Swargate and Katraj to begin excavation work for the underground tunnel section.

Shravan Hardikar said the TBMs are expected to be assembled within the next few months, after which tunnelling activity towards Katraj will begin.

Meanwhile, Metro Line 2, which currently runs between Ramwadi and Vanaz, is also being extended up to Chandni Chowk through a fully elevated route.

Transport Changes…

Officials said preliminary soil testing for pillar foundations on the Chandni Chowk extension has already started. The elevated corridor is expected to improve connectivity along one of Pune’s busiest stretches near the Mumbai-Bengaluru bypass.

Tambekar said the Vanaz-Chandni Chowk elevated extension is targeted for completion by mid-2028.

To reduce inconvenience during construction, Pune Metro and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) are jointly managing revised transport arrangements in affected areas. Several bus routes passing through the construction stretches have been diverted temporarily.

Officials said, despite temporary traffic inconvenience, the expansion project will allow commuters in the future to travel to major parts of Pune and its outskirts through faster and air-conditioned metro services.