Pune Metro Line 3 opens to riders, linking Hinjawadi IT hub to Shivajinagar

Pune Metro's Line 3, a 23.2-km elevated corridor linking the Hinjawadi IT hub with Shivajinagar, opened to passengers on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the line the previous day, on 3 November, at a ceremony held at the Balewadi Sports Complex. Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar also attended.

The line has 23 stations in all, but 17 are open at launch. The corridor runs from Maan through Hinjawadi, Wakad, Balewadi, Baner and University Circle to District Court, which is the interchange with the wider network. At Shivajinagar, passengers can change to Line 1 between Pimpri-Chinchwad and Swargate and to Line 2 between Vanaz and Ramwadi. The line also connects with the existing Aqua and Purple lines.

Cost, operation and timelines

The project cost is over ₹8,300 crore, according to a Prime Minister's Office statement. It is being built under a public-private partnership. Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited, a special purpose vehicle formed through a joint venture between the Tata Group and Siemens, is implementing it with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). The concession period is 35 years, with a provision for a further 25-year extension.

Some services are set out in the operating details. The reported fare starts at ₹12 for journeys of up to two kilometres. Peak-hour frequency is planned at around six minutes. All trains on the line will be run by around 100 women train pilots. The line has a total installed solar capacity of 7.60 MW, of which 6.10 MW is at stations and 1.50 MW at the car depot.

PMRDA Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari said the Maan to Civil Court journey would take about 40 to 45 minutes by metro. He said the line would significantly ease congestion, particularly in the Hinjawadi area. Anil Kumar Saini, chief executive of Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited, said initial ridership is expected at about 2 to 2.5 lakh passengers, rising to nearly 3 lakh later.

On the same day, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for four new corridors under Phase II of Pune Metro, valued together at around ₹21,800 crore. Chief Minister Fadnavis said about 120 km of metro routes have been developed in Pune so far, with some corridors still under construction. No completion date for the Phase II corridors has been announced.

What it means for the western corridor

Tribeca Developers' Group CEO, Rajat Khandelwal, said Pune's employment hubs and infrastructure were strengthening the city's real estate prospects. He named Hinjawadi, Wakad, Baner, Balewadi and Mahalunge as micro-markets likely to benefit from better access. He also said Koregaon Park, Kalyani Nagar and Shivajinagar could gain from better citywide connectivity. Sachin Bhandari, chief executive and executive director of VTP Realty, said Baner and Balewadi, which already face heavy congestion, could benefit from an added public transport option. These are views from industry figures. No sales, price or absorption data for these localities was released with the opening.

Demand for office space is also rising in the city. Cushman & Wakefield's Q3 2026 report puts gross office leasing in Pune at 1.99 million sq ft in the quarter. Gross leasing for the first nine months of 2026 was about 7.05 million sq ft, and net absorption was 4.24 million sq ft. Global Capability Centres accounted for around 65% of Q3 leasing.

Transport commentators note that the service is not complete until the final six stations open. Until then, commuters on the western corridor will depend on the stations already running.

What to watch next

• Two more stations are expected by the end of November 2026, according to authorities.
• The remaining four stations are expected to open by January 2027.
• Phase II corridors, valued at around ₹21,800 crore, have been announced but have no completion dates yet.
• Proposed extensions toward Nigdi, Katraj, Wagholi and Chandni Chowk have no dates.

For buyers in western Pune, the line adds a rail option between the Hinjawadi employment belt and the city centre. Whether it changes demand in Baner, Balewadi and Mahalunge will depend on how many stations open on schedule and how fast ridership builds in the months ahead.