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In 2 months, Pune Metro plans to increase frequency of services

The peak-hour frequency of Pune Metro train services is to be increased to 6 minutes from the current headway of 7 minutes

The Pune Metro has two operational routes: from Vanaz to Ramwadi and from Pimpri Chinchwad to Swargate (File)

The Pune Metro is planning to increase the frequency of train services on the Aqua and Purple lines to a headway of 6 minutes during peak hours from the current headway of 7 minutes, within the next two months. The non-peak hour frequency might also be increased to 8 minutes from the current 10-15 minutes, depending on an analysis of the traffic demand in these hours.

Hemant Sonawane, Executive Director (Administration & Public Relations) at Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation, told The Indian Express on Tuesday, “We are planning on increasing the frequency of trains on the Metro lines. During peak hours we will increase the frequency from 7 minutes to 6 minutes. We ultimately want to get it down to 5 minutes, but the first step is to reduce the headway to 6 minutes.”

On non-peak hour frequency, Sonawane said, “This will depend on an analysis of the traffic during these hours. This increase in frequency will encourage people who might not be using the Metro due to the longer waiting time to consider using it to travel. This might give us a boost in ridership.”

The Pune Metro peak hours are from 8 am to 11 am when the trains run every 7 minutes. The non-peak hours are divided into two parts – that of 10 minutes’ frequency from 6 am to 8 am, 11 am to 4 pm, and 8 pm to 10 pm every day, and at an interval of 15 minutes from 10 pm to 11 pm.

Parshuram Fawaday, the owner of a food joint and a regular Metro commuter, said while waiting at the District Court station, “This is a good move and the authorities should implement it. I came running and just missed a train by 30 seconds. Now I have to wait for another 10 minutes for the next train to come. Increasing the frequency will save time. At least a few minutes will be saved by increasing the frequency to 8 minutes.”

M Chandra Agashe, another commuter, said, “During peak hours increasing the frequency is a good idea as the trains are full. But during non-peak hours I don’t think they need to increase the frequency as there is not much crowd. They can think of increasing non-peak hours depending on the demand”.

In contrast to the slow frequency and low ridership of the Pune Metro, the Mumbai Metro 1, connecting Ghatkopar to Versova, has recently announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it would increase the frequency of trains to 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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