Key work done, Pune Metro gets closer to extension of service to Nagar road

The Pune Metro Rail operations began on March 6 last year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it. The operations were started on a 5-km elevated stretch from Vanaz to Garware College and a 7-km stretch from PCMC station to Phugewadi. The trial run for extending the operation from Garware College to Shivajinagar interchange station and Phugewadi to Shivajinagar interchange station was carried out last week. Pune Metro plans to start commercial operation on both the stretches soon after getting the nod from the Railway Safety Board.

“The viaduct work on Metro rail stretch from Civil Court interchange station to Ramwadi is 90 per cent complete. In next few months, the viaduct work will be fully completed. The construction work of Metro stations on the stretch is also in progress. This stretch will connect the existing Metro Rail service to Pune Railway Station, Wadia College Chowk, Bund Garden, Kalyaninagar and Ramwadi,” said Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director of Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha-Metro), which is implementing the Pune Metro Rail project.

It took the Pune Metro Rail two days to lay the steel girder over railway crossing at Sangamwadi during which the Central Railway operated a traffic block in the afternoons to facilitate the work. Two steel girder, parallel to each other and having length of 45 meter and weight of 115 metric ton each, have been put on the route over the railway crossing.

In Phase one of Pune Metro Rail, two routes – 17 km from PCMC station to Swargate via Shivajinagar and 16 km from Vanaz to Ramwadi via Shivajinagar – is being developed. The operation of 12 km stretch has begun while the work on remaining 21 km is on in full swing and the plan is to complete it this year only, said officials.

The Vanaz to Ramwadi route is completely elevated while on the other route, PCMC station to Rangehill station stretch would be elevated. This stretch will operate underground till Swargate.