Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two new Pune Metro lines on Tuesday, and the services on both stretches officially commenced from 5 pm on the same day. The extended metro services now connect Phugewadi to Civil Court and Ruby Hall to Garware College, and the inauguration ceremony took place virtually at the Shivaji Nagar Police headquarters in the city. The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) is anticipating a daily ridership of over one lakh commuters after the inauguration of these two new Pune Metro lines.
In the previous year, the Pune Metro had already opened to the public, serving the Vanaz to Garware College and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Phugewadi routes.
The Phugewadi to Civil Court stretch is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad to just 25 minutes, providing much-needed relief to daily commuters between the two cities. The Metro trains will run at a frequency of 10 minutes, making it more convenient for office-goers and college students who had previously faced one to two-hour commutes between Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune City.
This new route includes several stations such as Sant Tukaram Nagar, Bhosari, Nashik Phata, Kasarwadi, Phugewadi, Dapodi, Bopodi, Khadki, Range Hill, Range Hill Depot, and ultimately reaches Shivaji Nagar, concluding at Civil Court.
Another route, the Garware College to Ruby Hall Clinic Metro, will consist of six stations: Deccan, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Park, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Shivajinagar District Court, Regional Transport Office (RTO), and Pune Railway Station. The stations’ designs draw inspiration from the iconic figure, Shivaji Maharaj.
Regarding ticket prices, Maha-Metro has introduced a 30 percent discount on fares for students and weekend commuters, while metro card holders will benefit from a 10 percent discount. The journey from PCMC to Civil Court and Vanaz to Ruby Hall will cost between Rs 10 to Rs 35. Traveling from PCMC to Vanaz will take 40 minutes and cost Rs 35, while the fare from PCMC to Ruby Hall will be Rs 30.
Passengers can conveniently book Pune Metro tickets using cash, credit/debit cards, or digital wallets through the Metro app. Tickets will also be available at ticket windows, ticket vending machines, and even on WhatsApp. The opening of these new Pune Metro lines is expected to enhance the city’s public transportation and ease the daily commute for thousands of residents.
