Pune: The launch of Pune Metro's much-awaited Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Line 3 has been delayed as the project is still awaiting final safety approval from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS). The first phase of the route, from Maan station to R K Laxman Museum station, was expected to begin operations in July but will now have to wait until the mandatory clearance is received.
Officials from the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) said the construction work on the corridor has been completed and the metro is ready for passenger services. However, they said operations cannot begin without the CMRS safety certificate.
The CMRS team recently carried out a detailed inspection of the route. According to officials, all observations and recommendations from previous inspections have been addressed, and the project is now awaiting final approval.
Earlier, Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited CEO Anil Kumar Saini had said the company was aiming to begin services in July after completing all required safety procedures. He had also confirmed that the metro authorities had complied with the instructions given by the CMRS during earlier visits and were expecting the final clearance after the last inspection.
The first phase of Metro Line 3 will include 12 stations from the Hinjawadi side. These stations are Megapolis Society in Maan, Quadron Business Park, Dohler, Infosys Phase 2, Wipro Technologies Phase 2, Pall India, Shivaji Chowk, Courtyard by Marriott, Wakad Chowk, Balewadi Stadium, Orchid Hotel and Ramnagar.
The remaining 11 stations, including High Street, Balewadi Phata, Baner Gaon, Baner, Krushi Anusandhan, YASHADA, Savitribai Phule Pune University, RBI, Agriculture College, Shivajinagar and District and Sessions Court, are expected to become operational in October.
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The 23.2-km elevated Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Metro corridor is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Pune's central business district and the city's IT hub. It is also expected to ease traffic congestion and provide faster, more convenient travel for lakhs of daily commuters and residents in the rapidly developing Hinjawadi area.
Officials said trial runs on the Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar route have already been completed successfully. Once fully operational, Line 3 will also connect with Metro Line 1 (PCMC-Swargate) and Line 2 (Vanaz-Ramwadi), improving connectivity across Pune.
The Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line is India's first metro project being developed under a public-private partnership model. It is being executed by Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Siemens.
