Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pune Metro Line 3, the Pink Line, by video conference on Tuesday, November 3. The elevated corridor connects the Hinjewadi IT hub with Shivajinagar.
Who is building and running the line?
The line is the first metro project in India developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model of the central government’s New Metro Rail Policy of 2017. Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd is building and operating it, a special purpose company formed by TRIL Urban Transport Private Limited, a Tata Group company, and Siemens Project Ventures GmbH. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority awarded the contract to the joint venture in October 2018. Under a 35-year concession agreement, the company is responsible for the line’s construction and operation.
The project is also a financial milestone in its own right. The Pink Line cost about Rs 8,300 crore to build. The inauguration also covered Phase II, where the Prime Minister laid foundation stones for four new corridors. Together, the projects are worth about Rs 21,800 crore.
Siemens delivered the signalling, communications, depot systems and 750-volt DC third-rail electrification under a turnkey contract. The third-rail system makes the Pink Line the first metro in Pune to draw power that way, since the existing Maha Metro lines use overhead wires.
READ MORE: Maharashtra Metro Lines
What does the line mean for commuters?
The line was planned mainly to serve the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi, one of Pune’s largest employment centres. Commuters have relied on busy roads to reach the park, and the new corridor gives them a direct rail link to Shivajinagar and central Pune.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the entire Pink Line will be run by women operators, a first-of-its-kind initiative.
Siemens described the project as evidence that public-private partnerships can support future metro expansion across India.6 The launch came after months of delay, and commuters had been waiting for a firm opening date.
READ MORE: Metro expansion across India
