Pune: Metro to start running on Vanaz to Garware College stretch from March 2021

Pune: The much-awaited Pune Metro Railway will start its operations on the Vanaz to Garware college priority route from March 2021 while the Sant Tukaram Nagar to Phugewadi stretch in Pimpri-Chinchwad city will begin in early December 2021.

Pune Metro project work closed for about 35 days since the lockdown was announced on March 25 in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak. Work has been resumed to a certain extent after the migrant labourer returned from Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other states to the sites recently. There are about 2,600 workers at present working on the project and another 40 per cent are expected to return soon, the Maha Metro administration said.

It was earlier announced that the Pune Metro would start its services from December 2019 in the priority phase between Pimpri-Chinchwad to Phugewadi and Vanaz to Garware College in both the cities respectively. This was postponed to June 2020, but now because of the delay due to lockdown, this date has been postponed again.

Now, the Metro will start services in Pune city in March 2021, while the Pimpri-Chinchwad route will be operational in December 2021. There will be three stations each on the metro route in both the priority stretches. The stations will be 140 meters long, 21 meters wide and 20 to 22 meters high from the ground.

Maha Metro officials said the first phase is focused on the construction of four stations between Pimpri Chinchwad to Phugewadi and Vanaz to Garware College. They also stated that the work of other stations will be completed when the metro becomes functional on the routes.

Pune: Vanaz to Garware College (distance about 5 kms)

• Construction of three stations is about 60 per cent complete
• The work of laying the tracks is completed for about three and a half kilometres
• Signalling, electrical work has been expedited
• Tender of Rs 483 crore sanctioned for construction of seven stations between Vanaz and Civil Court
• Work began on January 4, 2018
• The work is expected to be completed by March 2020.

Pimpri Chinchwad: Sant Tukaram Nagar to Phugewadi (distance about 5.8 kms)

• Construction of three stations is 60 per cent complete
• The work of laying the tracks is completed for about ten and a half kilometres
• Signalling, electrical work expedited
• Tender of Rs 497 crore sanctioned for construction of eight stations from Pimpri Chinchwad to Range Hills Corner
• Commencement of work on November 1, 2017
• The work will be completed by December 2020