Ganeshotsav Rush: Pune Metro Trains to Run Every 3 Minutes on Shivajinagar–Swargate Route
Pune, 28th August 2025: MahaMetro has announced extended metro services for Ganeshotsav, allowing commuters from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad to travel conveniently between the city and suburban areas. From Saturday, August 30, until September 5, the metro will operate for 20 hours daily, in view of the rising number of devotees expected during the festive season.
On the day of Ganesh immersion, September 6, Pune Metro will run for a record 41 hours continuously — from 6 am on the day of visarjan until 11 pm the next day. The move aims to ease travel for lakhs of devotees flocking to central Pune for Ganesh Darshan, informed MahaMetro Director Hemant Sonawane.
Passenger footfall has already shown a significant rise. On the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi, 2.28 lakh people used the metro, an increase of nearly 16,000 compared to last year. Mandai station alone saw 43,000 commuters on the first day. Heavy rush is being reported on the Shivajinagar Court–Swargate route, where trains will run every three minutes if required. Technical preparations for managing the extra load have been completed, MahaMetro officials said.
Sonawane added that the metro provides a more convenient option than private vehicles, which must be parked far from the city centre, raising safety concerns. With direct connectivity to major areas, authorities expect higher passenger turnout this year.
Travel Advisory for Devotees
To streamline passenger flow, MahaMetro has issued a special appeal to commuters:
Devotees travelling from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) station to Swargate should alight at Kasba Peth station and walk to nearby Ganesh mandals.
Those travelling between Vanaz and Ramwadi stations are advised to get down at PMC, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan, or Deccan Gymkhana stations for Ganesh Darshan.
To reduce crowding at ticket counters, passengers are urged to use digital tickets, the MahaMetro app, or Pune Metro cards instead of paper tickets.
Authorities said the highest rush is expected from the fourth day of Ganeshotsav onwards, with central Pune stations likely to see record footfalls.
