Pune Metro will generate 30% of its total energy requirements internally, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said during a ceremony marking the inauguration and foundation-laying of different stages of the approximately ₹21,800-crore project. The event was conducted through videoconferencing in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Fadnavis described the project as a green metro initiative and said it was designed to save commuters’ time while setting a new benchmark in several areas. The energy-generation target was presented as one of the main features of the Pune Metro network, although the source report did not specify the technologies, generating capacity, investment or timeline associated with it.
The Chief Minister also said the metro corridor would have 100 women pilots and that women would operate the entire route. Women currently account for 50% of the project’s total staff, according to the report. The announcement places workforce participation alongside energy generation as a defining feature of the network.
The operational Pune Metro project currently covers 23 kilometres and has 23 stations, the report said. The network is planned to expand to 120 kilometres, extending towards all four sides of Pune. The foundation stones for four new routes were also laid during the ceremony, though the source did not provide route alignments, station counts, construction schedules or completion dates for these corridors.
The expansion is significant for a city where the metro is being developed as part of a wider effort to improve public transport and reduce travel time. However, the announcement does not establish when the full 120-kilometre network will be completed or how the proposed expansion will be integrated with existing bus services, roads and other modes of urban mobility.
Fadnavis said the project had been completed after overcoming several technical and geographical difficulties. He added that some minor works remained and would be completed soon. The Chief Minister said quality-related issues would be discussed after the remaining works were finished, according to the report.
The ceremony also included political criticism relating to the metro project and assistance to farmers. Fadnavis responded by saying that the state and central governments remained firmly supportive of farmers. The source report did not provide details of the allegations or the specific responses made during the event.
The immediate next steps are the completion of the remaining works on the existing project and the development of the four newly announced routes. Details on the energy systems, route plans, construction timelines and implementation milestones were not provided in the report.
