Pune Metro will generate 30% of its total energy requirements internally, while its operating network is set to expand from 23 km to 120 km, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said during an official ceremony reported on November 3. The announcement came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the approximately Rs 21,800-crore Pune Metro project and launched the foundation-laying ceremonies for multiple upcoming phases through videoconferencing.
Fadnavis described the system as a green metro and said it was being developed to reduce travel time while setting new benchmarks in several areas. The energy-generation target, if implemented as stated, would make the metro’s own power production a central part of its operating model. The report did not specify the sources of this energy, the capacity of the planned installations or the timeline for achieving the 30% target.
The chief minister also announced a significant role for women in the metro’s operations. According to his remarks, 100 women pilots will operate the route, while women will account for 50% of the total staff. The announcement places workforce composition alongside energy efficiency as a defining feature of the planned system, although details of the staffing structure, recruitment process and deployment schedule were not provided in the report.
Pune Metro currently has an operational network measuring 23 km and comprising 23 stations, according to the report. The government plans to extend the system to 120 km, with expansion intended to cover all four sides of Pune. The ceremony also included the foundation laying for four new metro corridors, marking the transition from the existing network towards a substantially larger citywide system.
The expansion is expected to affect how residents travel across Pune, but the announcement does not yet provide corridor-wise details, station lists, construction timelines, project costs or expected completion dates for the four new routes. Those details will be important for understanding how quickly the proposed network can address the city’s transport demand and which urban areas will receive the earliest connectivity benefits.
Fadnavis said the project had been completed despite technical and geographical challenges. He added that some minor works remained and would be completed at the earliest, after which quality-related issues could be assessed. The statement indicates that parts of the project are still in the finishing stage, even as the government presents the current system and future corridors as the foundation of Pune’s larger metro network.
The ceremony also included political exchanges over criticism of the metro project and issues concerning assistance to farmers. Fadnavis said both the state and central governments remained firmly committed to supporting farmers. The immediate implementation milestones for the four new corridors, the energy systems and the proposed 120-km network were not specified in the report.
