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Pune Metro channels ‘Nari Shakti’, sets stage for line 3 to be driven exclusively by women
Pune Metro line 3 will be operated exclusively by a team of 100 women train pilots, marking a historic move for gender inclusivity in urban transport.
The city is set to create history with the Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL) awarding a 10-year operations’ contract under which every metro train on the Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar corridor will be driven exclusively by women.
While women driving metro trains is not new—Delhi Metro, Bengaluru Metro and the Indian Railways already have women locomotive pilots—the Pune Metro line 3 is unique in that the entire fleet of trains will be run by women. The line, which is more than 90% complete, is expected to be operational early next year.
According to the PITCMRL, a dedicated team of 100 women train pilots (Nari Shakti team) has been recruited and is undergoing training currently. Most of these women hail from Pune and the neighbouring districts although some are from Mumbai, Hyderabad and other parts of the country. Fresh graduates, mostly with engineering degrees, constitute 60% of the team while the rest of the women have prior metro driving experience. The candidates have been selected through a rigorous process involving a written test, interview, aptitude assessment, and psychometric evaluation. The recruits have undergone a three-month intensive training programme including 200 km of supervised driving in both day and night conditions. Officials said that safety, wellbeing, and long-term workforce integration of these women have been prioritised. “This isn’t just about running trains—it is about inspiring the next generation of women to step into roles once seen as unconventional. Our women train pilots symbolise resilience, discipline and progress. They are setting a powerful example for Pune and for the nation,” said Anil Kumar Saini, chief executive officer (CEO), PITCMRL.
Officials at Keolis, which has bagged the contract, said that even women who have worked before as metro pilots in cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad are being retrained as per protocol before taking charge of line 3 operations. “Of the 100 women hired, more than 50% are freshers. They have shown great promise during training,” an official said. The Nari Shakti team has already successfully conducted four trial runs between Maan Depot (station number 1) and Balewadi Stadium (station number 10), demonstrating its members’ skills and confidence.
The around 23 km Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar corridor will connect Pune’s information technology (IT) hub to its central business district and is expected to serve lakhs of commuters, daily. Officials believe that entrusting the operations of this corridor entirely to women will not only ensure inclusivity and diversity in the workforce but also bring about a much-needed cultural shift in public transport, given that half the workforce engaged in IT companies at Hinjewadi is female.
The move builds on earlier milestones in the sector. In 2017, the Delhi Metro introduced its first, all-women crew on the Yamuna Bank to Dwarka route while women train operators are now a regular feature of the Bengaluru and Mumbai Metro as well as Monorail. The Indian Railways too has steadily inducted women as loco pilots, with the first woman driver appointed as early as 1988. Pune Metro line 3 however marks the first instance wherein an entire line will be staffed exclusively by women pilots. The project itself is a public–private partnership (PPP) awarded by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to a consortium of Tata Group’s TRIL Urban Transport Private Limited (TUTPL) and Siemens Project Ventures GmbH. It is being developed and operated on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis by Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL), the special purpose vehicle set up for the project. The concession period is 35 years, including construction time.
Saini said that Pune Metro’s ‘all-women’ initiative aligns with government programmes aimed at enhancing women’s participation in the workforce. “With Pune Metro line 3 preparing to roll out under the stewardship of its all-women crew, the city is poised to become a national reference point for gender inclusivity in urban transport,” he said.
