Pune Metro Line 3, connecting the IT corridor of Hinjawadi with Shivajinagar, will begin commercial passenger services on November 4 after the first 17 of its 23 stations receive safety clearances. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to virtually inaugurate the Pink Line on November 3 at an event at Balewadi Stadium, according to a report by Punekar News.
The opening will provide a new public transport connection across Hinjawadi, Wakad, Balewadi, Baner, Aundh and Shivajinagar. The corridor is expected to serve one of Pune’s major commuter routes, linking the city’s large technology and commercial districts with an established transport and administrative hub.
The 17 stations planned to open on November 4 are Maan/Megapolis Circle, Maan–MIDC Circle/Embassy Quadron Business Park, Maan Bus Depot/Dohler, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Circle 2/Infosys Phase II, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Circle 1/Wipro Phase II, Padmabhushan Chowk/Pall India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk/Shivaji Chowk, Hinjawadi Phase 1, Wakad Chowk, Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex/Balewadi Stadium, MITCON–Balewadi, R. K. Laxman Museum–Balewadi, Aundh, Sakal Nagar, Savitribai Phule Pune University, College of Agriculture and District Court/Civil Court.
The District Court station will be a key interchange point. It will connect Line 3 with Pune Metro’s existing Aqua and Purple lines, allowing passengers to transfer to other parts of the city through the current network. The corridor will also connect with Shivajinagar Railway Station and bus depots at Shivajinagar and Wakad.
Six stations will not be part of the initial commercial opening. Balewadi High Street and Balewadi Phata are expected to open by late November or early December 2026, subject to completion of pending work and the required safety clearances, PMRDA Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhary was quoted as saying. Baner Gaon, Baner Pashan Link Road, Bhosale Nagar/RBI and Simla Chowk/Mahabaleshwar Chowk are expected to become operational by January 2027 after final safety clearances.
Once all phases are completed, the full corridor will have 23 stations along a 23.3-kilometre elevated alignment. It will provide connections at two locations along National Highway 48, the Pune–Bengaluru highway, and will link with Pune’s existing metro network at interchange locations.
Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited, a special purpose vehicle formed through a joint venture between the Tata Group and Siemens, is implementing the project in collaboration with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The corridor is being developed under a public-private partnership through a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer concession. The concession period is 35 years, with a provision for a further 25-year extension.
The project is among the first urban rail corridors to be developed under the Government of India’s New Metro Policy, 2017, which seeks to encourage private investment in metro infrastructure. Passenger operations on the first 17 stations are scheduled to begin on November 4, while the remaining six stations will open in phases after construction work and safety approvals are completed.
