Pune Metro’s 23-km Pink Line between Maan and Civil Court began passenger services on Wednesday, with commuters reporting shorter and smoother journeys towards Hinjewadi, Balewadi and other employment hubs. The new route was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, a day before regular operations started.
For IT professional Mahesh Deshmukh, the first operational day brought a significant change to his daily commute. He travelled from Civil Court to Hinjewadi Phase-I and reached his workplace in about 40 minutes, without the traffic delays he usually faces on the road.
Several passengers travelling on the Civil Court–Maan stretch told the Times of India that their journey times had fallen by at least 30 minutes. Sayli Shah, who travelled from Wakad Chowk towards Hinjewadi Phase-II, said the route was comfortable and could provide relief from heavy rush-hour congestion on the busy corridor.
The line also attracted passengers transferring from Pune Metro’s existing routes. Commuters travelling on the Vanaz–Ramwadi and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation–Swargate corridors changed trains at Civil Court to access the Pink Line, according to Metro staff quoted in the report.
Ajay Agarwal, who lives in Koregaon Park and works in Balewadi, said he had previously travelled by motorcycle. His road journey generally took between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on traffic. On the first day, he travelled by Metro from Kalyaninagar to Civil Court and then changed trains for Balewadi, completing the journey in about 30 minutes. While the time saving was not substantial, he said the Metro journey was more comfortable overall.
A connecting foot overbridge at Civil Court allowed passengers to move between the existing routes and the Pink Line without leaving the station premises. The bridge links the concourse levels of the two stations and is intended to make interchange between services easier.
The first day also brought operational challenges associated with a new route. A Metro employee at Civil Court said morning footfall was significant and staff were busy explaining ticketing procedures and helping passengers identify the correct stations. Another employee said many passengers were trying to understand station locations and interchange arrangements.
Senior citizen Ashok Shinde, who travelled from Civil Court to Balewadi, said station staff were helpful and that onboard announcements assisted him during the journey. Some passengers, however, sought clearer direction boards to help them navigate the new stations and transfers.
The initial commuter response places the Pink Line at the centre of Pune’s effort to provide a public transport alternative on corridors affected by traffic congestion. Further passenger use and the functioning of interchange facilities will determine how smoothly the new service integrates with the two existing Metro routes.
