Pune: Pune Metro is not planning an immediate increase in the number of trains or coaches on its two operational corridors despite rising ridership, with the administration maintaining that additional rolling stock will be introduced only when passenger demand justifies the investment.
The Purple Line (PCMC-Swargate) and Aqua Line (Vanaz-Ramwadi) will continue with their existing fleet configuration for now. Pune Metro currently has 33 trains deployed across the two corridors — 16 on Line 1 and 17 on Line 2. Of these, two trains on each corridor are kept aside for emergency requirements, Pune Metro PRO Dhanraj Gokhale told The Free Press Journal.
Gokhale said new trains could be added to Line 1 and Line 2 by 2027, subject to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and other approvals.
Pune Metro currently has an operational network of 33.1 km, comprising two lines and 30 stations, of which 29 are operational. Line 1 is 17.4 km long, while Line 2 is 15.7 km. The network has five underground stations.
Why trains are not being added immediately?
The decision is primarily linked to passenger demand and the economics of adding rolling stock. Officials assess whether existing services have reached a level at which additional capacity is financially and operationally justified.
“Adding coaches or trains on any line is not easy, because we analyse the ridership. In the current trains, around 1,000 people can travel at a time. So if we decide to add coaches or trains, we will need higher ridership, which will also help us recover the investment through revenue. If we add them now, it won’t work out well,” Gokhale said.
Pune Metro’s official project profile describes the existing trains as three-coach formations, with a capacity of almost 1,000 passengers. During peak periods, trains currently operate at roughly six-minute intervals, while non-peak services run at around 10-minute intervals.
The Metro’s immediate approach is to increase frequency before substantially increasing train length or fleet size.
“First, the time between two trains will be reduced. When it reaches around 1.5 to two minutes, then we can add coaches and trains to the lines. That would indicate that ridership has increased and demand is higher,” Gokhale said.
During Ganeshotsav, services were temporarily tightened to handle the festival rush, showing that capacity can also be increased through shorter intervals and longer operating hours. However, there has been no announcement of a permanent increase in trains on Lines 1 and 2.
Three coaches now, six eventually
The existing trains are designed around three-coach formations rather than the addition of individual coaches. The rolling-stock specifications provide for a three-car formation of DMC + TC + DMC — a Driving Motor Coach at either end and a Trailer Coach in the middle — and a six-car formation of DMC + TC + MC + MC + TC + DMC.
Gokhale said future expansion would therefore happen in complete three-coach units.
“Whenever the higher authorities decide to add coaches to Metro trains, it will be double what is running on the tracks now. As of now, the trains have three coaches, so whenever there is an addition, it will be three more because the coaches come as a complete set. A three-coach train will become a six-coach train. It will be in multiples of three,” he said.
The Swargate-Katraj DPR provides for both three- and six-coach formations, estimating capacities of 764 and 1,574 passengers respectively under its specified loading calculations. It estimates rolling-stock costs at ₹9.04 crore per coach at July 2021 price levels. These are DPR-era estimates and do not represent current procurement prices.
Expansion plans
While the existing fleet is being retained for now, Pune’s Metro network is set for substantial expansion.
The Vanaz-Chandani Chowk and Ramwadi-Wagholi/Vitthalwadi extensions, known as Lines 2A and 2B, together cover 12.75 km and 13 stations, extending the Aqua Line towards Chandani Chowk, Kharadi and Wagholi.
Line 4, from Kharadi to Khadakwasla, will cover 25.52 km with 22 elevated stations, while Line 4A will connect Nal Stop, Warje and Manik Baug over 6.12 km with six stations. Together, the corridors will span 31.64 km and 28 elevated stations, at an estimated cost of ₹9,857.85 crore. Tendering has moved forward for sections of both corridors.
Line 3, connecting Hinjawadi to Civil Court/Shivajinagar, is approximately 23.3 km long with 23 elevated stations and is being implemented as a PPP project under PMRDA.
The 5.46-km underground Swargate-Katraj extension, with three stations, also provides for the transition from three- to six-coach formations in its longer-term rolling-stock projections.
However, for the existing lines, Gokhale said the immediate priority remains matching capacity with actual demand.
“The increase can be seen in the coming two to three years,” he said, adding that any decision to increase the number of coaches or trains would depend on the DPR, ridership and approval from higher authorities.
