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Pune Metro: From just an experience to being utilitarian
Following the inauguration of two extended routes in Pune, Maha-Metro expects more people to use the facility
PUNE: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pune metro’s extended routes namely, Vanaz to Ruby Hall Clinic and Phugewadi to Civil Court, on Tuesday, the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited or Maha-Metro said that these two stretches will truly connect Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad and help raise ridership of the Pune metro.
Following inauguration of the two extended routes, they were thrown open to commuters Tuesday evening. Shravan Hardikar, managing director of the Maha-Metro, said, “These two stretches truly connect both cities. Now, commuters can travel effortlessly from Pune to Pimpri-Chinchwad and vice-versa. With this move, ridership will increase and people will come to know the actual benefits of the metro. We are expecting more people to use the metro service now.”
“Extending passenger services to important locations can influence urban development patterns, leading to more sustainable and well-planned growth in the city,” Hardikar said, as he appealed to residents of both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to use the Pune metro.
Atul Gadgil, director (operations) of the Maha-Metro, said, “We started passenger services on both stretches – Vanaz to Ruby Hall Clinic and Phugewadi to Civil Court - at 5 pm on Tuesday. The ridership will start increasing gradually in the coming days. We have planned a meeting with Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) officials on Wednesday to start feeder bus services at these metro stations.”
“We will discuss starting feeder bus services at different metro stations and their frequency based on the number of metro trips,” Gadgil said.
Metro trains will run on the newly-inaugurated stretches between 7 am and 10 pm at a frequency of 10 minutes on August 2. The journey from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Pune will take 22 minutes. There are 18 metro trains with three coaches each. Passengers travelling from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Vanaz or vice-versa will need to change the metro train at Civil Court interchange station.
