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PMRDA to open 13-km stretch of Metro Line 3 by September
Over the past six months, traffic congestion in Hinjewadi has become a major issue, drawing criticism from citizens, activists, and opposition leaders. To reduce public pressure and address the growing criticism, PMRDA has planned to begin operations on one stretch of the metro
The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) plans to open a 13-kilometre stretch of the 23-km Metro Line 3 — from Megapolis Circle to Balewadi Phata — by September this year, said officials.
The project, which began in November 2021, is developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model by PMRDA and Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd, a consortium led by Tata Group and Siemens.
Over the past six months, traffic congestion in Hinjewadi has become a major issue, drawing criticism from citizens, activists, and opposition leaders. To reduce public pressure and address the growing criticism, PMRDA has planned to begin operations on one stretch of the metro.
Officials said the metro work is expected to be fully completed by March 2026. The metro is being developed in two phases. In the first phase, a 14-km section from Maan to Balewadi Phata will be opened for trial runs and partial operations later this year.
Speaking about the progress, a senior PMRDA Metro official said, “On average, metro construction in India takes 8 to 14 months per kilometre. For a 23-kilometre stretch, the completion time is over four years. PMRDA’s pace is well ahead of this standard.”
Metro Line 3 spans 23.3 km and will have 23 stations. On the trial run conducted on Friday, Yogesh Mhase, PMRDA commissioner, said, “Until now, testing was limited to the depot. This was the first trial run on the actual line, bringing us closer to operations.”
Although the entire line is scheduled for completion by March 2026, PMRDA aims to finish major construction by the end of this year and begin operations on completed stretches. “We will start service between Maan and Balewadi Phata by September,” Mhase said, adding that construction of 13 stations is nearly complete, with work underway on staircases and final touches.
