Pune Metro is fast becoming the preferred mode of commute for Punekars. This was evident on May 26 when a record 95,669 passengers travelled by metro, marking the highest Sunday ridership of 2024. The official handle of Pune Metro shared this information on X (formerly Twitter). "Record-breaking Sunday! Pune Metro breaks 2024's Sunday ridership record with 95,669 commuters," read the post. The highest single-day ridership was registered on August 15 last year, with 1.69 lakh passengers benefiting from the metro.
Meanwhile, in another update, work on the Pimpri-Nigdi stretch has begun with soil testing currently underway. This elevated route comprises four stations: Chinchwad, Akurdi, Nigdi, and Bhakti Shakti Chowk, with distances spanning 1.463 km from PCMC to Chinchwad, 1.651 km from Chinchwad to Akurdi, 1.062 km from Akurdi to Nigdi, and 975 meters from Nigdi to Bhakti Shakti Chowk.
The Centre sanctioned this on October 23. Covering a total distance of 4.413 km, the project cost for this route amounts to ₹910.18 crore. This expansion will increase the Pune Metro network to a total length of 37.613 km, encompassing 33 stations.
The necessity for extending the Pune Metro from Swargate to PCMC and further to Nigdi was apparent. To facilitate this, Pune Metro prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the extended PCMC to Nigdi route. Following PCMC's approval, the proposal was forwarded to the State and Central governments. Maha Metro diligently ensured all technical requisites were met. Representatives from the Pune district consistently monitored and facilitated the progress, ultimately leading to approval from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.
