Pune city’s metro system is preparing to extend its connectivity with the opening of two new stretches by the end of July. The Maharashtra Metro Railway Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) officials have confirmed that the Garware College to Ruby Hall Clinic and Civil Court to Phugewadi sections are on track to be operational for passengers in the coming weeks.
These new stretches have recently undergone a thorough inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Security (CMRS), and the final certification is expected to be granted in the second week of July. With the CMRS certificate in hand, Pune Metro officials will be fully prepared to commence services on these two routes. However, the ultimate decision to launch the service rests with the state government.
Currently, the metro operates for approximately 13-14 hours each day on both lines. Once fully operational, the metro trains will run from 5 am to 12 am daily, offering 19 hours of service.
Looking ahead, Maha-Metro has announced goals to perform trials on the Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi route, with the goal of starting passenger service in September. Furthermore, progress has been made on the underground stretch from Shivajinagar to Swargate, as the Civil Court and Shivajinagar underground stations have been completed.
Initially, there was a deadline set in April for Maha-Metro to complete all works, as mandated during a review meeting by Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the completion of all work has been rescheduled for December-end.
Since its inauguration in March 2022, the Pune Metro has already been serving commuters across 10 operational stations. The existing network includes five Purple Line stations and five Aqua Line stations. The metro service operates between Garware College to Vanaz and Phugewadi to Pimpri Chinchwad stations. These two routes were inaugurated last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a special event held in Pune.
The Pune Metro project was initially conceptualised about in 2009, and the groundwork for it was officially laid in December of 2016. The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MahaMetro) has included both elevated and underground parts in the partially functioning corridors, namely Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi, at a cost of more than Rs 11,400 crore.
Comments
0 comment