As per our sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Pune Metro Line 3, from Maan-Hinjewadi to the Shivajinagar District Court, on the morning of 3 November from the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar expected to attend. The Indian Express, The Free Press Journal and The DCN report that passenger services will start on 4 November at 6 am, while News On AIR reported an 11 am start, so riders should confirm the first train time on the day. The 23.2 km elevated line has 23 stations, but only 17 will open at first; Laxmi Nagar, Balewadi Phata, Baner Gaon, Baner-Pashan Link Road, Reserve Bank of India and Shivajinagar stay closed for now, with The Indian Express reporting that two of them should be ready by the end of November and the rest by January 2027. Trains are planned every 6 minutes at peak and every 12 minutes off-peak, with the last train at 10:30 pm from Maan-Hinjewadi and 11:40 pm from Shivajinagar, according to The Indian Express. The line has been built under a public-private partnership by PITCMRL, a venture of TRIL Urban Transport and Siemens Project Ventures, for the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, and it uses a 750 volt third rail, CBTC signalling, an all-women team of train operators and about 7.6 MW of solar power, as per The Free Press Journal. The DCN reports fares from Rs 12 for up to 2 km to Rs 62 for the full 18 to 23 km band and puts the project cost at Rs 8,333 crore, while The Free Press Journal said fares had not yet been announced.
This development matters because Hinjewadi is one of Pune’s largest IT hubs and its access roads through Baner, Balewadi and Aundh are among the most congested in the city. A direct rail link to Shivajinagar gives thousands of tech workers a fixed-time alternative to buses, cabs and two-wheelers. As a public-private partnership line, its ridership and fare recovery will be watched by other cities planning similar deals.
In our expert opinion, opening with 17 of 23 stations is the right call, because waiting for every station would have kept the whole corridor idle for months. The weak spot is the six missing stops, including Baner Gaon and Balewadi Phata, which serve dense residential areas, so early ridership is likely to fall short of the full potential. We expect weekday ridership to stay below 1 lakh a day through December 2026 and to climb only after the remaining stations open in early 2027. Confidence: medium.
This is important for our readers because the first week of any new line tends to bring crowds of first-time riders, so office commuters should allow extra time from 4 November. Check the official first train time before you leave on opening day, given the differing reports. If your usual stop is one of the six closed stations, plan a feeder bus or auto to the nearest open station for now. Keep small change or a digital payment option ready until the final fare chart and card options are confirmed.
The Indian Express, 31 October 2026, https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/punes-hinjewadi-shivajinagar-metro-line-to-start-from-november-4-at-6-am-10945201/
News On AIR, 31 October 2026, https://newsonair.gov.in/pm-modi-to-inaugurate-punes-shivajinagar-maan-hinjawadi-metro-corridor-on-november-3/
The Free Press Journal, 31 October 2026, https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/pune-metro-line-3-hinjawadi-shivajinagar-route-to-open-on-nov-4-timings-ticket-fares-special-features-and-more
The DCN, 31 October 2026, https://thedcn.news/pune/hinjewadi-shivajinagar-metro-ride-to-cost-%e2%82%b962/
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