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The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) has started work on planning new metro corridors.
One corridor is a three-kilometre stretch that will connect Ramwadi to Pune Airport. (Photo Credits: X/Pune Metro)
To reduce traffic jams and improve last-mile travel to Pune’s Lohegaon Airport, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) has launched new plans for metro route extensions.
These include a direct metro line from Ramwadi to the airport and a longer corridor linking the city centre to Pune’s fast-growing southern suburbs – Kondhwa, NIBM, Yewalewadi and Undri.
On 23rd May, Maha-Metro invited consultants to create an Alternative Analysis Report (AAR) and a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for these new corridors. These reports will help determine the best way forward by comparing options like metro rail and Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), as per Hindustan Times.
What’s in the Plan?
According to Atul Gadgil, Director (Works) at Maha-Metro:
- A 3-kilometre metro line will connect Ramwadi to Lohegaon Airport.
- A 20-kilometre route will stretch from Civil Court to Yewalewadi, with a spur to NIBM.
He also mentioned that Pune Metro’s Line 3, currently being built by Tata-Siemens, may be extended from Civil Court to cover Kondhwa, Yewalewadi and Undri. Once the DPR is ready, Maha-Metro will decide whether it will handle the project itself or allow Tata-Siemens to continue.
Why This Matters
These metro extensions aim to:
- Cut travel time for daily commuters and air travellers.
- Support green transport, reducing the city’s carbon emissions.
- Encourage more people to use public transport, easing road congestion.
Experts to Study the Best Transit Option
The chosen consulting firm will prepare an AAR to look at different transport options, such as metro rail or a bus rapid transit system (BRTS). The study will consider factors like cost, passenger needs, environmental effect, and how well it can be connected with Pune’s current transport system.
Based on this study, a detailed DPR will be made to show how the selected plan can be built, what it will cost, and how long it will take.
Furthermore, there has been strong support from leaders too. Former MLAs from Wadgaon Sheri, Sunil Tingre and Jagdish Mulik, had earlier demanded a metro extension from Ramwadi to Pune Airport.
More recently, Murlidhar Mohol, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, also asked Maha-Metro and the Pune Municipal Corporation to prepare a DPR for this route.
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