Pune Metro’s Pink Line from Maan to District Court via Hinjewadi was inaugurated on Tuesday, strengthening rail connectivity to one of the city’s largest information technology hubs and marking a new phase in Pune’s expanding urban transport network. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inauguration virtually and cited the project as part of India’s wider growth in Metro infrastructure.
Modi said India’s operational Metro network had increased from 248 km in 2014 to around 1,200 km, while the number of cities with Metro services had risen from five to 26. More than one crore passengers now travel by Metro every day, according to figures cited by the Prime Minister.
The inauguration programme in Pune was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti Murlidhar Mohol, and other dignitaries. PMRDA Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari made the introductory presentation at the event.
Describing Pune as a major centre for information technology, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, startups, innovation and manufacturing, Modi said the expanding Metro network would support the city’s economic growth. He linked improved public transport with shorter travel times, higher productivity and better ease of living for urban residents.
The Prime Minister also referred to the project’s public-private partnership structure, presenting the Pink Line as an example of cooperation between the government and private sector to accelerate infrastructure development. The route is expected to improve access to Hinjewadi, a major employment centre where road-based commuting has placed sustained pressure on the city’s transport system.
Modi said he had laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro’s first phase about a decade ago and that further expansion would improve connections between the city’s older and newer areas. The event also placed the Pune project within Maharashtra’s broader Metro expansion: the state had only about 10 to 11 km of operational Metro lines in 2014, compared with around 200 km now, while work on more than 680 km was underway. Investments exceeding Rs2.5 lakh crore had been made in Metro infrastructure in Maharashtra, he said.
The inauguration was also attended by MPs and MLAs from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, Maha Metro Managing Director Shravan Hardikar, PMRDA Additional Metropolitan Commissioner K Manjulakshmi and Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd CEO Anil Kumar Saini. Sunetra Pawar recalled the contribution of late Ajit Pawar to the project. The Pink Line’s opening is intended to strengthen public transport links between Pune’s established urban areas and its expanding employment districts.
