Pune Metro’s Hinjewadi–Shivajinagar corridor will be inaugurated on November 3, but passenger services will initially bypass six of its 23 stations, including the strategically important Shivajinagar station, according to a report by Lokmat – Pune. The 23.2-kilometre corridor will begin operations at 17 stations, leaving several important links between Hinjewadi, Balewadi, Baner and central Pune incomplete at the start of service.
The six stations that will not receive passengers during the opening phase are Balewadi High Street, Balewadi Phata, Baner Gaon, Baner-Pashan Link Road, Bhosale Nagar and Shivajinagar. The report said construction work and required safety approvals at these stations have not yet been completed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the corridor online. The line is being developed by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority through a public-private partnership and is intended to connect the Hinjewadi information technology cluster with central Pune. The corridor has been viewed as an important response to the heavy congestion faced by employees and residents travelling through the western parts of the city.
The initial operating section will include stations from Maan and the Hinjewadi area through Wakad, Balewadi, Aundh, the University area and the district court. The 17 stations listed for passenger service are Maan, Maan MIDC Circle, Maan Bus Depot, Hinjewadi Phase 2 Circle 2, Hinjewadi Phase 2 Circle 1, Padmabhushan Chowk, Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk-Hinjewadi, Hinjewadi Phase 1, Wakad Chowk, Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex-Mhalunge, Mycon-Balewadi, R.K. Laxman Museum-Balewadi, Aundh, Sakalnagar, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Agricultural College, District Court and Pune. The report’s station listing counts 17 operating stops while also referring to the corridor’s 23-station plan; the six excluded stations are identified separately.
The non-operational status of Shivajinagar is particularly significant because the station is expected to serve passengers heading towards the court complex, government offices, educational institutions and other public facilities in central Pune. Commuters travelling from Hinjewadi, Wakad, Balewadi and Baner may instead have to get off at another operational station and continue by bus, autorickshaw or private vehicle until the station opens.
The same problem could affect passengers in Baner and Balewadi, where gaps between operating stations may increase the distance between homes, workplaces and the metro network. The availability of buses, autorickshaw fares, pedestrian routes and access roads will influence whether residents can conveniently reach the stations that are open.
The Hinjewadi–Shivajinagar project had its foundation stone laid on December 8, 2018. It includes 23 stations and has an estimated cost of about Rs 8,313 crore. Its completion schedule has changed several times, and the corridor is now being opened in stages rather than as a fully operational route.
Pune’s earlier metro opening also began with limited coverage. On March 6, 2022, services initially started on the Vanaz–Garware College and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation–Phugewadi sections, covering 10 stations. The latest opening will similarly separate the ceremonial inauguration from full passenger access, with the remaining six stations awaiting completion and safety clearances.
