PUNE (Metro rail News): The long-delayed Pune Metro Line 3 is now chasing a fresh deadline even after getting clearance from CMRS. The Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro corridor was expected to enter service earlier this year, but the launch kept moving.
PMRDA first worked towards a June-end opening for the initial 12 stations. That deadline passed. In August, officials indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could inaugurate the first stretch in early September. That window has also passed without a confirmed launch date.
The latest target is now September-end. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the line virtually, but his schedule has also not been finalised yet. The inauguration date will therefore depend on both the completion of CMRS inspection and the availability of the Prime Minister.
Pune Metro Line 3 launch awaits clearances for 5 more stations
The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) has already cleared the first 12 stations of the 23.23-km Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar corridor of Pune Metro Line 3. However, PMRDA now wants to start operations with 17 stations instead of the earlier plan for 12 stations. The additional five stations need to undergo the required safety inspection before they can be included in passenger operations. According to PMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari, the CMRS is expected to inspect these stations next week.
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PMRDA can start services only after it receives the necessary safety clearances from CMRS. Abhijit Chaudhari has indicated that the launch date of Pune Metro Line 3 could be confirmed within a couple of days, but the September-end timeline remains dependent on these approvals. This means the corridor is still not at the stage where a firm opening date can be announced.
Six stations will remain closed initially
Under the revised opening plan, passenger services will begin without six stations. These stations are:
- Laxmi Nagar
- Balewadi Phata
- Baner Gaon
- Baner
- Reserve Bank of India
- Shivajinagar
PMRDA can start metro services with 17 stations without waiting for the entire corridor to become ready. It will continue work and pursue safety clearances for the remaining stations separately. The first phase will cover only 17 of the 23 stations on Line 3. This means passengers will not get a full Hinjewadi-to-Shivajinagar journey when services will start.
A 23.23-km link between Hinjewadi and central Pune
Pune Metro Line 3 is being developed as a 23.23-km corridor connecting Hinjewadi with Shivajinagar. The elevated line passes through key areas, which include Wakad, Balewadi and Baner before reaching central Pune. Its primary goal is to provide a mass-transit alternative to the heavily congested road network between Hinjewadi’s IT hub and central Pune. The corridor is expected to serve a large number of employees and residents who are travelling between Hinjewadi and areas such as Baner, Balewadi and Shivajinagar.
Pune Metro Line 3 launch still hangs on clearances
The repeated changes in the opening timeline have made the safety clearance the biggest hurdle for Line 3. The first 12 stations have already received CMRS clearance, but PMRDA’s decision to expand the initial operating stretch to 17 stations has created another clearance requirement before those additional stations can open.
That makes the next few weeks critical. If the five-station inspection proceeds as planned and the required approvals arrive on time, PMRDA could still start services by the end of September. If the process takes longer, the latest deadline could slip again.
As of now, Pune Metro Line 3 has a target, but not a confirmed launch date. The corridor’s first passenger service will depend on what happens with the remaining safety inspections and the final inauguration schedule.
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