Pune metro expansion green lit

The Government on Wednesday approved expansion of the Pune Metro rail network at a cost of Rs 9,858 crore, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said here.

The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Line 4 (Kharadi –Hadapsar–Swargate–Khadakwasla) and Line 4A (Nal Stop–Warje–Manik Baug) under Phase-2 of the Pune Metro Rail Project.

This is the second major project approved under Phase-2, following the sanction of Line 2A (Vanaz–Chandani Chowk) and Line 2B (Ramwadi–Wagholi/Vitthalwadi).

With this latest approval, Pune Metro’s network will expand beyond the 100-km milestone, a significant step in the city’s journey towards a modern, integrated and sustainable urban transit system, the Government said.

Together spanning 31.636 km with 28 elevated stations, Line 4 and 4A will connect IT hubs, commercial zones, educational institutions and residential clusters across East, South and West Pune.

The project will be completed within five years at an estimated cost of Rs 9,857.85 crore, to be jointly funded by the Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra and external bilateral/multilateral funding agencies.

In a statement, the Government said that these lines are a vital part of Pune’s comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) and will seamlessly integrate with operational and sanctioned corridors at Kharadi Bypass and Nal Stop (Line 2), and Swargate(Line 1).

They will also provide an interchange at Hadapsar Railway Station and connect with future corridors towards Loni Kalbhor and Saswad Road, ensuring smooth multimodal connectivity across metro, rail and bus networks.

According to projections, the daily ridership on Line 4 and 4A combined is expected to be 4.09 lakh in 2028, rising to nearly 7 lakhs in 2038, 9.63 lakh in 2048 and over 11.7 lakh in 2058, the statement stated.

Of this, the Kharadi – Khadakwasla corridor will account for 3.23 lakh passengers in 2028, growing to 9.33 lakh by 2058, while the Nal Stop–Warje–Manik Baug spur line will rise from 85,555 to 2.41 lakh passengers over the same period, it added.

These projections highlight the significant growth in ridership expected on Line 4 and 4A over the coming decades.

The project will be implemented by Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro), which will carry out all civil, electrical, mechanical and systems works.

Pre-construction activities such as topographical surveys and detailed design consultancy are already underway.