Pune: Pune Metro is planning to introduce six-coach trains on its existing routes from PCMC to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi to handle a sharp rise in passenger numbers expected after the launch of the Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Metro corridor.
Metro officials expect daily ridership on the existing lines to increase by nearly 50 per cent once Line 3 becomes operational in the coming months. The new corridor will connect Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjawadi with Shivajinagar, allowing commuters to interchange with the existing Metro network easily.
At present, Pune Metro operates three-coach trains on both Line 1 and Line 2. According to Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro), the average daily ridership on the two operational corridors reached 1.87 lakh passengers in March 2026. This number is expected to rise to between 2.75 lakh and 3 lakh passengers per day after Line 3 opens.
Maha-Metro Managing Director Shravan Hardikar said the increase in passenger traffic has made it necessary to expand train capacity. He said Pune Metro aims to build infrastructure capable of handling nearly six lakh passengers daily in the future.
Currently, 18 three-coach trains operate on the Vanaz-Ramwadi east-west corridor, while 16 trains run on the PCMC-Swargate north-south route. Officials said additional trains will be required on both corridors to meet future demand. To support the introduction of longer trains, Pune Metro will also expand its depots at Vanaz and Range Hill.
The Metro network is also undergoing further expansion. Work has already begun on extending the PCMC-Nigdi and Swargate-Katraj sections of Line 1, as well as the Vanaz-Chandni Chowk and Ramwadi-Wagholi extensions on Line 2.
Meanwhile, work on the proposed Line 4 corridor, which will connect Khadakwasla and Kharadi via Swargate and Hadapsar, as well as on the SNDT-Manikbaug route, is expected to begin soon.
The Pune Metro network currently covers 33.28 kilometres across the city through the PCMC-Swargate and Vanaz-Ramwadi corridors, with most of the route elevated and a section running underground through the city centre.
