Narendra Modi inaugurates Pune Metro Line-3 to ease city congestion

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pune Metro Line-3 via videoconferencing on Tuesday, 3 November, launching a 23.2-kilometre elevated corridor designed to connect the city’s primary IT hub with its administrative centre. The project, also known as the ‘Pink Line’, links Maan-Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar and is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion in the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park area. The inauguration ceremony, held at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mhalunge-Balewadi at 10:30 am, was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. While the official inauguration took place on Tuesday, passenger services on the new line are scheduled to commence at 6:00 am on Wednesday, 4 November. Infrastructure and investment details The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) confirmed that the project cost approximately Rs8,313 crore, covering construction, land acquisition, and utility shifting. It was developed using a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) framework, following the Central Government’s National Metro Rail Policy of 2017. Out of the 23 stations planned for the corridor, 17 became operational following the inauguration. According to PMRDA Commissioner Dr Abhijit Chaudhari, seven of these stations have opened with a single operational staircase to facilitate immediate access. The line features multi-modal…