Pune Metro Line 3, the 23-kilometre Pink Line connecting the city’s major IT hub in Hinjewadi with Shivajinagar, is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, giving daily commuters an alternative to road travel. The corridor has been built at a cost of more than Rs 8,300 crore and will connect Hinjewadi with the District Court Metro station.
The line is expected to improve direct connectivity between Hinjewadi and central Pune, a route used by thousands of employees and other passengers every day. The corridor will provide a public transport option for commuters who currently depend largely on roads to travel between the IT hub and other parts of the city.
The Pink Line will be operated by women train operators, according to the report by Navbharat Times – Mumbai. The initiative is intended to increase women’s participation in the public transport sector and create additional employment opportunities in metro operations.
The project also includes a renewable-energy component. Around 30 per cent of the corridor’s electricity requirement is planned to be met through solar energy. The stated objective is to reduce dependence on conventional energy sources while supporting a cleaner public transport system.
Fares on the new line have been fixed according to travel distance. Journeys of up to 2 kilometres will cost Rs 12, while travel between 2 and 4 kilometres will cost Rs 25. The fare for journeys between 4 and 8 kilometres is Rs 37, followed by Rs 43 for 8 to 12 kilometres, Rs 49 for 12 to 18 kilometres and a maximum fare of Rs 62 for journeys longer than 18 kilometres.
The maximum fare is higher than the existing maximum fare of Rs 35 on Pune’s current metro network. This means that passengers travelling longer distances on the Pink Line may pay more than passengers using the existing corridors, although the new route is intended to provide a direct connection between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar.
The inauguration programme will also include the foundation-laying ceremony for the second phase of Pune Metro. The phase is expected to involve an investment of around Rs 13,500 crore and four additional corridors: Vanaz to Chandni Chowk, identified as Line 2A; Ramwadi to Vitthalwadi, identified as Line 2B; Kharadi to Khadakwasla, identified as Line 4; and Nal Stop to Manik Bagh, identified as Line 4A.
The proposed corridors are intended to extend metro connectivity to more parts of Pune and give passengers additional travel options. The immediate operational significance of Line 3 will depend on how effectively it connects the Hinjewadi employment district with the existing metro network and how passengers respond to its distance-based fares. The Pink Line inauguration and the foundation-laying ceremony for the four proposed corridors are scheduled to take place today.
