Pune Metro Line 3, the long-awaited rail link between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar, will not open to the public until after the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections because the model code of conduct is currently in force in the affected constituencies.
The Election Commission of India announced on Tuesday that elections would be held for Legislative Council seats in four states, including five seats in Maharashtra. The seats include representatives from the Pune Division Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies, along with seats from the Amravati, Aurangabad and Nagpur divisions. The election notification said the model code of conduct would come into force immediately in the concerned constituencies.
The code is expected to remain in force through October, further postponing the public launch of Metro Line 3. A Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority official said the line was ready to begin operations, with 12 stations completed, but the inauguration would now take place only after the elections in Pune.
“The model code of conduct for legislative council seats will come into force with immediate effect in the concerned constituencies,” Suman Kumar Das, Secretary, ECI, said in the election notification.
Metro Line 3 is being developed by PMRDA and is intended to provide a direct public transport connection to Hinjewadi, one of Pune’s major information technology and employment centres. The route is expected to give IT professionals and other commuters an alternative to daily road travel between the western technology district and the central city.
The line has already faced several delays. Pending clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety was previously cited as one reason for the postponement. That approval was received in July, after which the public continued to await the formal inauguration and start of services.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been invited to inaugurate the line. As a result, the launch also depended on securing an appointment for the inauguration ceremony. The latest delay means that operational readiness and public access will remain separate milestones until the election-related restriction ends and the opening event is scheduled.
PMRDA is also working to complete five additional stations, which it plans to inaugurate alongside the 12 stations already ready for service. Metro Line 3 has 23 stations in total and is planned to integrate with Pune’s two existing operational metro corridors: the PCMC–Swargate line and the Vanaz–Ramwadi line.
The Election Commission’s notification and the PMRDA’s stated launch plan now place the next formal milestone after the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. Until then, the completed section will remain closed to public passengers despite the reported clearance and readiness of its initial stations.
