Pune Metro Line 3 Records 50,000 Passenger Movements On Day One; District Court Sees 25,000

Pune: Pune Metro Line 3 recorded around 50,000 passenger movements on its first day of commercial operations on Wednesday (Nov 4), despite Diwali holidays keeping several offices and commercial establishments closed.

The 23.2-km Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar corridor received a strong response from commuters, according to Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL). District Court station recorded the highest footfall, with around 25,000 passenger movements during the day.

The operator expects ridership to increase over the next two weeks as offices and commercial establishments resume regular operations after the festive break.

It has also announced plans to increase train frequency to every five minutes during peak hours and every eight minutes during off-peak hours.

Anil Kumar Saini, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PITCMRL, said the operator was pleased with the response on the first day. He said commuters had welcomed the connectivity, comfortable journeys and time-saving benefits of the new corridor.

The station serves as an important interchange between Pune Metro Line 3 and the existing Purple and Aqua lines operated by Maha-Metro. It provides connectivity to Pune Railway Station and other parts of the city.

The high footfall highlights the importance of interchange facilities in connecting the two metro networks.

Trains To Run Every Five Minutes During Peak Hours

Under the revised schedule, trains will operate every five minutes during peak hours and every eight minutes during off-peak hours.

The complete journey between Hinjawadi and Shivajinagar takes approximately 40 minutes. The corridor is expected to benefit IT employees and other daily commuters travelling between the western IT hub and central Pune.

NCMC Card Receives Positive Response

The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) facility also received a positive response on the first day.

The facility allows commuters to use a common mobility card across participating Pune Metro networks, making travel more convenient for passengers using different corridors.

The card facility is particularly useful at District Court, where passengers can interchange between Line 3 and the existing metro network.

The first-day response marks an encouraging start for the new corridor. However, the actual test of its daily ridership will come once offices and commercial establishments resume normal operations after the Diwali holidays. PMRDA and PITCMRL officials have expressed an opinion that they expect a daily ridership of 2 lakh.