Swargate-Katraj Metro Route Gets Approval From PMC; Pune Metro Extended To Warje, Sinhgad Road, Hadapsar, Wagholi

Pune, 18th March 2021: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved the Pimpri Chinchwad-Swargate metro line from Swargate to Katraj. The Swargate-Katraj extended route will be underground. The PMC will send the proposal to the Maharashtra State Government for further approval.

PMC had asked the Maharashtra Metro Railway Corporation (Mahametro) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for this extended route. The provision of Rs 60 lakhs was proposed in the municipal budget for the route. The two routes-elevated and underground were presented and financially planned by Maha metro.

The Katraj-Swargate route was proposed to be built underground as authorities feared that the elevated route would be impractical. The proposal had come before the general body for approval after a go-ahead from the standing committee of the corporation.

However, the proposal was pending as the General Body meeting was not being held due to the corona pandemic. The General Body approved it on Wednesday.

Pune Mayor Muralidhar Mohol said, “The proposal to approve the outline of the project was pending for several months. It could not be decided as the General Body meeting was not held due to corona infection. As a result, the state and central government budgets did not fund the extended route. Now the project will gain momentum. The approved proposal will be sent to the state government immediately.”

Maharashtra Metro Railway Corporation will take over the work of the Swargate-Katraj underground line. For this, PMC has a share of Rs 233.75 crores, including the cost of land and rehabilitation. Along with the Katraj-Swargate extension line, Sinhgad road to Pune Cantonment, Shivajinagar to Hadapsar, Ramwadi to Wagholi, Vanaz to Chandni Chowk, Warje to Swargate will be extended. Given the city’s growing size, it is planned to extend 50 km long metro lines on all four sides of the city.