Pune Metro Line 3, connecting Hinjewadi with Shivajinagar, is scheduled to begin passenger services on November 3, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to inaugurate the 23.3-kilometre corridor virtually. Services are likely to start at 17 of the route’s 23 stations, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to attend the launch programme at Balewadi stadium.
Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari said officials had been instructed to complete preparations for the inauguration. “We have been told to keep everything ready for November 3. The Prime Minister will join online, while the chief minister and other dignitaries will be present at the venue,” he said, according to officials cited in the report.
The elevated corridor is intended to provide an alternative to road travel between the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi and central Pune. The route serves a major employment district where commuters face heavy congestion, particularly during peak office hours. The proposed opening is expected to benefit thousands of daily commuters who currently depend largely on crowded roads to travel to and from the IT hub.
The project has been implemented under a public-private partnership between PMRDA and Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd. It is among the first metro corridors in India developed under the Centre’s 2017 Metro Rail Policy using the PPP model. The project has an estimated cost of around Rs 8,313 crore, including land acquisition and utility-shifting expenses.
The corridor has missed several earlier completion and launch deadlines. It was initially expected to be completed by March 2025, but permissions for barricading, utility shifting and pending construction work delayed progress. Deadlines were subsequently extended to September 2025 and March 2026. Labour shortages and material-supply constraints also contributed to the delays.
Authorities had earlier considered opening the corridor in phases, beginning with a 12-station stretch. The launch was postponed repeatedly as the project awaited mandatory safety approvals from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety. The election model code of conduct for the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls also added uncertainty to the inauguration schedule.
The CMRS has now cleared 17 of the 23 stations for passenger operations. Inspections of two stations near Balewadi have been completed, while RBI, Simla Chowk, Mahabaleshwar Chowk and Baner stations are awaiting approval, officials said. The remaining stations are expected to open after the required clearances and construction work are completed.
The proposed launch comes as commuter frustration continues over delays to the corridor. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray had urged the state government to open the portion that has already received safety clearance without waiting for a formal inauguration.
Maha-Metro is also expected to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 projects during the launch programme. Separately, PMRDA has approved a Rs 426-crore plan covering road improvements, traffic management and last-mile connectivity in Hinjewadi. The measures are intended to help commuters reach the metro stations and improve access to the IT hub once passenger services begin on the cleared section.
