Pune Metro passengers changing between the existing network and the Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar corridor will have to scan two separate QR codes because the new Line 3 will operate under a separate ticketing system, MahaMetro Managing Director Shravan Hardikar said at a press conference on Monday.
Tickets for journeys involving all three corridors will carry two QR codes. Passengers will need to scan the relevant code at each entry point when transferring between MahaMetro-operated services and the Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar line, which has been developed by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).
MahaMetro currently issues a common ticket for travel on the Vanaz–Ramwadi and Pimpri-Chinchwad–Swargate corridors. The separate arrangement for Line 3 means commuters travelling across the full network will have to follow an additional access procedure when their journey includes the PMRDA-operated corridor.
Tickets can be purchased at metro stations across the network, through the MahaMetro mobile application and via WhatsApp. For passengers using paper or digital tickets, the two QR codes will be scanned separately at the respective access points before they continue their journey.
National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) users will not have to purchase separate tickets for the transfer. They can tap their cards at both entry points to access the respective metro services. The arrangement makes the NCMC the only stated ticketing option that avoids the need to manage two QR codes during an inter-line journey.
The third corridor is expected to increase Pune Metro usage significantly. Hardikar said MahaMetro anticipates an additional daily ridership of around one lakh passengers once the Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar line becomes operational. The existing two corridors carry between 2.5 lakh and nearly 3 lakh passengers on an average day, with daily footfall crossing three lakh on some occasions.
The new corridor is expected to expand metro access for IT employees and other commuters travelling between Hinjawadi and central Pune. Its separate ticketing arrangement reflects the fact that the line is being developed by PMRDA rather than MahaMetro, while passengers will still be able to buy tickets for journeys involving all three corridors through the available MahaMetro channels.
