Pune: In an ambitious yet achievable attempt to ease traffic congestion in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune Metro Line 3, which will connect Pune District Court in Shivajinagar to Hinjawadi IT Park, is being seen as a ray of hope. Every day huge traffic congestion is seen in Pune’s IT belt of Wakad, Hinjawadi, Balewadi and Baner.
Pune Metro Line 3 cannot operate soon enough for residents, as the renewed deadline is set for 31st March 2026. With Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis himself ordering the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) in a meeting last month to complete the project on schedule, media reports and social media vigilantes have claimed the project has a long way to go.
According to official claims, nearly 90% of the work on the new metro line has been completed. However, concerns persist due to images and videos circulating on social media. Several aware citizens from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, who say they have personally inspected the route, claim significant work is still pending and that the project is unlikely to meet its 31st March 2026 deadline, with just 54 days remaining at the time of writing this report.
Although a major milestone was achieved on 8th January 2026, when a technical trial run was successfully completed on a 19 km stretch between Maan Depot in Hinjawadi and University Chowk, the concern remains. According to available details and residents’ observations, many of the stations are not complete on this 23.3 km entirely elevated route.
Shantanu Bidkar, a resident of Kalyani Nagar, said, “I travel daily by road from Kalyani Nagar to Hinjawadi’s Rajiv Gandhi IT Park, and I use the same route as the Metro. It is evident that many stations are still inaccessible. I don’t think the authorities will be able to meet the deadline. They may organise an inauguration or a VIP ride in April, but for the general public, the full route is unlikely to become operational by the end of March.”
‘The Project Is On Schedule’: PMRDA Chief
While speaking to The Free Press Journal, PMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Yogesh Mhase said, “The Pune Metro Line 3 project connecting Shivajinagar and Hinjawadi will go as scheduled. As of now, the work is going on according to the schedule, and we aim to meet the deadline.”
“We are positive that the project will be executed by the end of the March 2026 deadline,” Dr Mhase told The FPJ.
Netizens Spark Debate
Aware citizens of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad on social media allege that despite the "93% complete" tag, several factors suggest a full-scale launch by March might be "too optimistic.”
Media reports recently claimed that after technical trials, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) must conduct rigorous audits. This usually takes 2–3 months of back-and-forth, as witnessed when the first two lines of Pune Metro became operational. “If full trials only started in January or February, getting a final green light by 31st March would have been possible,” said an X (formerly Twitter) user.
Residents have also raised the issue that the double-decker flyover at University Chowk is still undergoing final work on the Baner and Pashan arms. Metro operations are technically linked to the structural integrity of this bridge, according to previous claims made by the authorities.
CM Devendra Fadnavis recently directed PMRDA to ensure the services launch by this date. To meet this, officials are exploring "phased commissioning". Phased commissioning means that instead of waiting for every single station to be 100% ready, they might open the line with only "major" stations operational (as happened on the Pimpri-Swargate line, as the Range Hills and Khadki stations are still not in use). It means the authorities will skip the incomplete ones initially to meet the deadline.
Also, what makes people sceptical about this, though, is that unlike government-run lines, the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) contract usually requires the entire stretch to be operational to trigger certain revenue clauses. The stakeholders of the metro line three may be hesitant to open a "half-baked" line if it affects their financial model.
About Pune Metro Line 3
- Route: Hinjewadi Megapolis Circle to Civil Court (Shivajinagar)
- Length: 23.3 km (Entirely Elevated)
- Stations: 23 Stations
- Developer: Tata Group (TRIL) & Siemens (Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd)
- Technology: First in Pune to use 750V DC third rail (no overhead wires)
- Trains: Alstom Metropolis (3-coach sets, 1000-passenger capacity)
Current Status (As of February 2026)
- The project is currently in its "Decisive Phase".
- Roughly 90% to 93% of the civil work (pillars and viaducts) is complete.
- A major milestone was achieved on 8th January 2026, when a technical trial run was successfully completed on a 19 km stretch between Maan Depot and University Chowk.
- Out of 23 stations, only about 12–15 are near completion. The remaining stations (mostly on the Shivajinagar end) still require significant interior fit-outs, entry/exit structures, and safety systems.
- 14 out of the planned 22 trainsets have already arrived at the Maan Depot.
