Pune Metro Line 3 was inaugurated with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis taking the first ride from Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi to Hinjawadi Phase 2, highlighting the new corridor’s planned role in connecting the city’s major residential, educational and information technology areas. The approximately six-kilometre journey was conducted after the inauguration of the new route and the foundation stone-laying ceremony for Pune Metro Phase 2.
Fadnavis travelled with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Ajit Pawar. He personally purchased the first ticket before boarding the metro. During the journey, Pune Metro Managing Director Shravan Hardikar briefed the Chief Minister on the corridor, its stations and the project’s features.
The journey included senior state and civic officials, including Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State Madhuri Misal, Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, Pimpri-Chinchwad Mayor Ravi Landge and Pimpri-Chinchwad Metropolitan Region Development Authority Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhary. Elected representatives and senior officials were also present.
The first ride was operated by an all-women train pilot team. Lead Train Pilot Pragati Biradar operated the train, while Train Pilot Aishwarya Suryapujari also participated in the journey. Their role was presented as an example of the increasing participation of women in modern public transport operations.
During the trip, Fadnavis interacted with schoolgirls and information technology professionals travelling on the corridor. He asked them about their experience of using the metro, the facilities available and the benefits they expected from the new route for their daily commute. The interaction brought together two commuter groups expected to use the corridor for education, employment and regular travel.
The Balewadi-Hinjawadi connection is significant because Hinjawadi is a major information technology employment area, while Balewadi is home to residential, commercial and sports infrastructure. The newly inaugurated route therefore places the metro within an important commuting corridor, although the supplied report does not provide details on fares, frequency, passenger capacity or the full station list.
The event also linked the opening of the new route with the next phase of Pune’s metro expansion. A foundation stone-laying ceremony for Pune Metro Phase 2 was held alongside the inauguration, indicating that the state’s current metro programme is advancing through both the opening of a new corridor and the launch of another project phase. Specific construction timelines, costs and completion milestones for Phase 2 were not provided in the report.
The first journey concluded at Hinjawadi Phase 2 Metro Station after covering approximately six kilometres. The route’s subsequent operational details and the next implementation milestones for Pune Metro Phase 2 were not specified in the source report.
