PM Modi Inaugurates Pune Metro’s Pink Line, Lays Foundation for Rs 13,500 Crore Phase II

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated Pune Metro Line 3, the Pink Line, and laid the foundation stone of the metro’s Phase II through video conferencing. Together the projects are worth about Rs 21,800 crore. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also took part.

Built at a cost of over Rs 8,300 crore, Line 3 runs about 23 km from Maan to the District Court station, with 23 stations on an entirely elevated route through Wakad, Balewadi and Baner. It gives the Hinjewadi IT hub a direct metro link to Shivajinagar, easing the daily commute of thousands of IT professionals and others who use one of the city’s most congested road corridors. Passenger services begin on Wednesday, with 17 of the 23 stations open at first.

The line connects with the existing metro network at District Court, where it meets the Purple and Aqua lines. It is meant to reduce dependence on private vehicles, traffic congestion and vehicular emissions. Two features set it apart: it will be operated entirely by women train operators, and about 30 per cent of its electricity needs will be met by solar power.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF METRO

Pune’s first two lines are built and run by the state-owned Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha-Metro). The Pink Line is different. It was built by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) as a public-private partnership, the first project under the Centre’s New Metro Rail Policy 2017 to be implemented in that way.

The concession was awarded in October 2018 to a joint venture of Tata Realty and Siemens, which set up a company called Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited to build, finance, operate and eventually transfer the line to the government. Keolis holds the operations and maintenance contract.

The line was scheduled for completion in March 2025, under a 40-month build period, so it opens about a year and a half late.

HOW PUNE’S METRO GREW

Pune’s metro network opened in stages. PM Modi inaugurated its first sections in March 2022, and the Shivajinagar station opened on August 1, 2023. The Purple Line from PCMC to Swargate was fully operational by September 29, 2024. The Aqua Line runs from Vanaz towards Ramwadi in the city’s east. The Pink Line is the first corridor to serve the western IT belt.

PHASE II: FOUR NEW CORRIDORS

PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of Phase II, estimated to cost about Rs 13,500 crore. It covers Lines 2A, 2B, 4 and 4A.

Lines 2A and 2B together run about 12.75 km, extending the east-west network. Line 2A links Vanaz to Chandani Chowk, and Line 2B links Ramwadi to Vitthalwadi. Line 4 runs about 25.52 km from Kharadi to Khadakwasla, and Line 4A runs 6.12 km from Nal Stop to Manik Baug.

The new corridors will serve Kharadi, Magarpatta, Hadapsar, Swargate, Manik Baug, Nanded City, Pune Cantonment and Warje. The eastern extension from Ramwadi to Vitthalwadi will improve links to the fast-growing residential, commercial and IT areas around Kharadi and Wagholi. Interchanges at Swargate, Nal Stop and Kharadi Bypass will connect the new lines with the existing metro and with intercity buses.

THE FUNDING

The Union Cabinet approved Lines 4 and 4A in November 2025 at over Rs 9,800 crore. Together they span about 31.6 km with 28 elevated stations. The 12-km Line 2 extension adds over Rs 3,600 crore and 13 stations, which brings Phase II to roughly Rs 13,500 crore. Maha-Metro will build the new lines over about four and a half years.

With inputs from ANI