In a much awaited milestone enhancing Pune’s inter-state connectivity, trial runs for the 23-km Pune Metro Line 3 connecting Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar were successfully completed on Friday. The progress brings the project a step closer to its commercial launch, which is now expected by the end of March 2026.
Simultaneously, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has announced that the much-awaited Shivajinagar-Baner flyover will be fully operational within a week, promising immediate relief to one of the city’s most congested traffic corridors.
A Speed Test for Hinjewadi’s Lifeline
The successful trial runs spanned the entire 23.3-km elevated corridor, testing both directions of the route. This line is widely regarded as a “game changer” for the thousands of IT professionals at Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park who currently face grueling daily commutes.
According to PMRDA officials, an application for commercial operations will be submitted to the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) shortly. While the target for full operations is March 31, the project will likely open in phases. Stations that are 100% complete will be operational first, while others may be “skipped” initially as finishing work continues.
Relief at University Chowk
According to a report by The Indian Express, for commuters struggling with the bottleneck at the Pune University junction, the completion of the double-decker flyover on Ganeshkhind Road is being considered as a ‘big’ win.
While the Aundh-to-Shivajinagar arm has been open since last August, the arms connecting Shivajinagar to Baner and vice versa are set to open this coming week. Once functional, the flyover is expected to reduce travel times and fuel consumption for those heading toward Aundh, Baner, Pashan, and Shivajinagar.
Executed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model between PMRDA and a private concessionaire, Line 3 aims to shift 2.6 lakh daily passengers off the roads and onto the tracks by 2027.
By integrating with the existing Aqua and Purple lines at Shivajinagar, the new “Red Line” is expected to create a seamless transit network across the city. With 90% of the civil work complete and trial runs now a daily occurrence, Pune’s IT hub is finally on the verge of creating a new reliable mass transit link.