PUNE: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of Pune metro passenger services on routes including Phugewadi to Civil Court and Ruby Hall to Garware College, the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) is expecting a daily ridership of more than one lakh commuters on these routes.
Last year, the Pune metro opened to commuters on the Vanaz to Garware College and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Phugewadi routes. On Tuesday, Modi will inaugurate the expanded passenger service on the Phugewadi to Civil Court and Ruby Hall to Garware College routes.
Atul Gadgil, director (operation) of Maha-Metro, said, “The new stretches will connect Pune (Pune Municipal Corporation) and PCMC by metro network. More commuters will travel seamlessly from Pune to PCMC and vice-versa. It will help to increase ridership of the Pune Metro. So, we are expecting more than one lakh commuters travelling on metro after starting extended routes from Vanaz to Ramwadi and Swargate to PCMC. The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) will provide feeder services to metro stations which will help commuters reach the metro stations conveniently.”
Gadgil further said, “The Civil Court Interchange station allows passengers to conveniently switch between routes, making it possible to travel from PCMC to Vanaz or PCMC to Ruby Hall with ease.”
Metro connects Pune and PCMC
According to metro officials, the extended routes will connect important parts of Pune city such as Shivajinagar, Civil Court, PMC office, Pune RTO and Pune Railway Station. The Deccan Gymkhana and Sambhaji Udyan stations will connect with Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road and Fergusson College (FC) Road which will help thousands of Punekars visiting these places.
Besides that, Ruby Hall station is near the Wadia College campus and will help thousands of students studying there. At Pune Railway Station and Shivajinagar Metro station, there is seamless integration with the railway which will help commuters easily board long-distance trains. Citizens visiting the Pune RTO, District Court and PMC office will also be benefitted as the metro stations are located adjacent to these places.
Metro fares ranging from ₹10 to ₹35
With the new extensions, travellers can conveniently journey from PCMC to Civil Court and Vanaz to Ruby Hall. The metro fares range from ₹10 to ₹35. The travel time from PCMC to Vanaz is approximately 40 minutes while the fare is ₹35. From PCMC to Ruby Hall, the fare is ₹30 whereas from Vanaz to Ruby Hall, the fare is ₹35. Students will get a 30% discount on fares, while on Saturdays and Sundays, all citizens will get a 30% discount. Metro card holders are eligible for a 10% discount (metro cards will be available soon).
Passenger service operates on Tuesday evening
In light of the recent inauguration, direct metro services from PCMC to Civil Court and Vanaz to Ruby Hall will start at 5 pm. Tickets can be booked using cash, credit/debit cards, or digital wallets through the Metro app. Alternatively, tickets can be bought at ticket windows, ticket vending machines and even on WhatsApp.
Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro work temporarily shut due to PM visit
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing to inaugurate Pune metro’s extended passenger service on other routes, the ongoing metro work on the Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar route has been temporarily halted. Pune traffic police sent a letter to the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and Tata-Siemens Company, requesting them to suspend metro construction from July 21 to August 1 due to the Prime Minister’s visit.
