The project is especially slated to be useful for IT professionals, with Hinjawadi being the IT hub in the city. The metro line will link the area to central Pune.
The third line of the Pune Metro connecting Hinjawadi and Shivajinagar will have its operations managed by the French transportation company Keolis. The information was provided in a press release from the company. The agreement for the management of the metro line was signed between Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL) and Keolis, headquartered in Paris.
French company is expected to oversee the maintenance
As per the terms of agreement, the French company is expected to oversee the maintenance of 22 Alstom-manufactured metro trains, along with the ticketing operations across all 23 stations.
Additionally, the company also made a significant announcement saying that the Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar corridor will feature an all-women fleet of metro pilots. The move is seen as part of its commitment to ensure gender inclusivity in public transport.
The metro line, for which Keolis has been roped in, runs for a distance of 23 km and is being developed by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). The development is continuing under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Trial runs already completed
The trial runs have already been completed and are likely to get operational for public use by as early as March 2026.
Integrating a total of 23 stations, the route is expected to ease travel for thousands of commuters travelling daily. The project is especially slated to be useful for IT professionals, with Hinjawadi being the IT hub in the city. The metro line will link the area to central Pune.
According to a Free Press Journal report, the project is likely to incur a cost of Rs 8,313 crores, with an amount of Rs 4,789 crores coming from loans from financial institutions, while private players invest Rs 1,315 crores.
Moreover, through viability gap funding from the Union government, the Central government will extend a support of Rs 1,224.8 crores, while the state government is slated to contribute Rs 90.58 crores.
