Pune Metro will increase train frequency and extend services during the Ganesh festival to manage the expected rise in commuter and devotee traffic across the network, MahaMetro said in an announcement reported on September 10.
During peak periods of the festival, trains will operate at five-minute intervals across the Pune Metro network. MahaMetro has also issued guidance on station use and interchange points to reduce crowding at stations serving the city’s central areas.
Passengers travelling from the Swargate–Pimpri-Chinchwad corridor towards the central peth areas have been advised to use Kasba Peth Metro station instead of changing corridors at the District Court station. Commuters arriving from the Vanaz side have been asked to use Deccan Gymkhana station, while those travelling from the Ramwadi side have been advised to use Pune Municipal Corporation station.
MahaMetro has requested devotees visiting the city for Ganesh darshan to use Mahatma Phule Mandai Metro station only for their return journey. The station will operate in a one-way arrangement during the festival period as part of the crowd-control plan.
Under the arrangement, Gate 3 near the Lokmanya Tilak statue will be used only for entry into the station. Gate 2 on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Road will be available for passengers exiting the station.
The changes are intended to manage passenger movement at stations near Pune’s central peth neighbourhoods, where festival-related visitor volumes are expected to place additional pressure on access points and interchange areas. MahaMetro’s announcement did not specify the exact duration of the extended operating hours or provide a separate day-by-day timetable in the information available.
Passengers travelling during the festival will need to follow station-specific directions and use the alternate stations identified by MahaMetro. The operator’s five-minute peak-hour frequency and the one-way arrangement at Mahatma Phule Mandai station will remain the key operational measures announced for the period.
