Pune Metro’s underground service from Civil Court to Swargate may start in September before assembly elections

Pune Metro’s Phase 1, comprising of the routes from PCMC to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi, will be deemed completed with the commencement of the underground service from Civil Court to Swargate.

The eagerly awaited underground rail service of Pune Metro, connecting Civil Court to Swargate, is anticipated to begin in September, with the work projected to finish by the end of August.

Pune Metro executive director Hemant Sonawane confirmed this to The Indian Express. He stated that trial runs on both lines of the underground rail service have been successfully completed. Additionally, he mentioned that the railway safety team will visit after the work’s completion in August to provide their consent to commence operations. The initial deadline for starting operations from Civil Court to Swargate was March 31, but it was postponed due to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The launch of the underground service signifies the completion of Phase 1, covering the route from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi. While the Vanaz to Ramwadi route is fully operational, the PCMC to Civil Court route is partly functional, with the underground segment pending.

Sonawane also revealed that Pune Metro has started extending the route from PCMC to Nigdi as part of Phase 1. The decision from the Centre regarding the extension from Swargate to Katraj is still awaited. Furthermore, the proposal for Phase 2 of Pune Metro has been submitted to the Maharashtra government for approval. Once approved, it will be forwarded to the Centre.