Pune: Pune Metro has announced an extended service schedule and special crowd-management measures for Ganeshotsav 2026, anticipating a significant rise in passenger numbers during the festival from September 14 to 26.
Metro services will operate at intervals of around five minutes during peak hours across the network between September 14 and 25. From September 14 to 16, services will run from 6 am to 11 pm as per the regular schedule.
The operating hours will be extended from September 17 to 24, with trains running from 6 am to 2 am to facilitate the movement of devotees visiting Ganesh mandals and other crowded areas in central Pune.
The longest continuous metro service has been planned around Anant Chaturdashi. On September 25, services will begin at 6 am and continue uninterrupted until 11 pm on September 26, totalling 41 hours of continuous operations. Regular timings of 6 am to 11 pm will resume from September 27.
Pune Metro has also issued specific instructions regarding the use of stations to prevent overcrowding in central Pune. Devotees travelling on Line 1 and visiting Ganesh mandals in the Peth areas have been advised to get down at Kasba Peth Metro Station.
Passengers travelling on Line 2 from the Vanaz side have been advised to use Deccan Gymkhana Metro Station, while those arriving from the Ramwadi side have been asked to use PMC Metro Station.
Metro authorities have appealed to passengers to avoid getting down at Mahatma Phule Mandai Metro Station for Ganesh darshan and instead use it mainly for return journeys. The station will function in a unidirectional manner from September 14 to 26 as part of crowd-control measures.
During this period, Gate No. 3 near the Lokmanya Tilak statue will be used only for entry, while Gate No. 2 on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Road will be used for exit.
Devotees have also been advised to avoid interchange between Lines 1 and 2 at District Court Metro Station, which is expected to witness heavy footfall. Instead, passengers have been asked to use stations such as Kasba Peth, PMC and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan according to their respective travel routes.
Pune Metro has appealed to devotees to follow the arrangements and cooperate with authorities to ensure safe and smooth travel during the festival.
