Ganeshotsav drives metro ridership to 48.32 lakh in 12 days

Pune Metro recorded 4,832,915 passengers travelling on its network between September 14 and September 25 during this year’s Ganeshotsav

Pune: Pune Metro recorded 4,832,915 passengers travelling on its network between September 14 and September 25 during this year’s Ganeshotsav, generating revenue of ₹7.49 crore, according to Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro).

Pune Metro recorded 4,832,915 passengers travelling on its network between September 14 and September 25 during this year’s Ganeshotsav. (HT)

On the day of Anant Chaturdashi immersion processions, metro services operated for 24 hours from 6 am on September 25 to 6 am on September 26 carrying 580,280 passengers and revenue stood at ₹85.61 lakh.

Shravan Hardikar, managing director, Maha-Metro, said, “Considering the increase in passenger numbers during the festival we increased train frequency to every five minutes, besides providing round-the-clock service. Medical facilities were provided at Swargate, Mahatma Phule Mandai and Deccan Gymkhana stations. Widespread use of digital ticketing and public transport by residents and visiting devotees helped make the festival travel more convenient.”

Ridership count

Metro ridership during Ganeshotsav has increased over the past two years. In 2024, 2,045,100 passengers used the metro during the festival. The figure rose to 3,717,578 in 2025 and 4,832,915 this year. Compared with 2024, ridership has increased by 136.32%.

Line-wise performance

Between September 14 and September 25, Line 1 from PCMC to Swargate recorded 2,515,516 passengers and generated revenue of ₹4.17 crore.

Line 2 from Vanaz to Ramwadi recorded 2,317,399 passengers and revenue of ₹3.31 crore.

The District Court interchange station saw 1,039,452 passengers change metro lines during the festival period. On the 24-hour immersion service alone, 122,552 passengers used the interchange.

Mahatma Phule Mandai emerged as the busiest metro station during the festival with 682,473 passengers and revenue of ₹1.01 crore.

The other four busiest stations were PCMC with 472,658 passengers and revenue of ₹99.69 lakh, followed by Swargate with 435,489 passengers and ₹63.22 lakh in revenue. Ramwadi recorded 405,447 passengers and revenue of ₹65.95 lakh while PMC station

About 71% of passengers used digital tickets while 29% purchased paper tickets.

Eleven stations crossed 20,000 passengers on immersion day

Mahatma Phule Mandai recorded the highest footfall with 70,375 passengers and revenue of ₹9.46 lakh, followed by Deccan Gymkhana with 64,938 passengers and revenue of ₹7.54 lakh, Swargate with 48,906 passengers and ₹6.34 lakh, PCMC with 43,491 passengers and ₹9.24 lakh, and Ramwadi with 37,894 passengers and ₹6.68 lakh. PMC recorded 36,588 passengers, followed by Vanaz with 30,686, Nal Stop with 30,519, Garware College with 26,832, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Udyan with 23,350 and Pune Railway Station with 20,149.