Pune: Metro Expansion to Revolutionize Connectivity with New Routes, Including Hinjawadi-Kharadi and Hinjawadi-Chandni Chowk
Pune, 18th December 2024: Pune’s metro connectivity is set to see significant advancements with the addition of new routes aimed at easing urban mobility and boosting economic growth. During the 85th-anniversary celebrations of Pune’s Shramik Patrakar Sangh, Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL) Director Neha Pandit spoke about plans to connect the IT hubs of Hinjawadi and Kharadi, an initiative that aligns with the city’s growing transportation needs.
Speaking on the topic “Metro Connecting Pune’s IT Sector and Central Area: Challenges and Opportunities,” Neha Pandit emphasized the strategic and detailed planning behind such large-scale projects. Factors like citizen needs, geographical conditions, and economic feasibility play a vital role in project design. She explained that as per government guidelines, construction begins only after 90% of the required land is acquired.
Currently, the metro line between Shivajinagar and Hinjawadi is being developed under the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) using a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The ₹7,000 crore project is being executed in collaboration with a German private company. Plans to extend this connectivity to Kharadi, another IT hub, are in progress.
Pandit highlighted the use of advanced technology in Pune’s metro system, which includes automated facilities and third-rail high-voltage electric systems, eliminating the need for overhead wires. “Our goal is to create a metro system that prioritizes passenger safety and convenience, encouraging more people to adopt this mode of travel,” she added.
In a separate statement, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil emphasized the success of the Pimpri-Swargate and Vanaz-Ramwadi Metro corridors, which currently attract over 1.25 lakh daily commuters. These corridors offer faster, air-conditioned, and comfortable travel alternatives, significantly reducing travel time and easing traffic congestion on major routes such as Sinhgad Road, Karve Road, and Solapur Road.
Work on extended corridors like Swargate to Khadakwasla and Swargate to Hadapsar-Kharadi is underway, alongside operational routes such as the Shivajinagar to Pimpri-Nigdi and Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar lines. Proposed expansions, including the Hinjawadi to Chandni Chowk and Vanaz to Chandni Chowk routes, are in various stages of approval.
The Metro network’s operational routes currently span 32 kilometers, including a 5-kilometer underground section between Shivajinagar and Swargate. The recent approval of a 6-kilometer underground route from Swargate to Katraj by the central government is a testament to the project’s momentum.
According to Chandrakant Patil, the Pune Metro project, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2016, has been a game-changer for urban transport in the city. The state government’s commitment to expanding the Metro network underscores its vision of transforming Pune into a model for efficient urban mobility.
As the Metro network integrates advanced technology, such as third-rail high-voltage systems and automated facilities, these expansions promise to enhance commuter convenience and support the city’s rapidly growing IT and commercial hubs.
