By Tejas

Pune, September 29, 2024: Pune’s long-awaited first underground metro line has finally commenced, marking a major milestone for the city's public transportation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the metro line running from the District Court to Swargate in an online ceremony today. Punekars, who have eagerly anticipated the start of this service, can now take advantage of this new metro route.

During the inauguration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the metro virtually, while in Pune, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, along with other leaders, marked the event by taking a ride on the metro. Officials have announced that the metro will officially open for passenger service at 4 p.m. today.

The District Court to Swargate metro line is Pune's first-ever underground metro section. It is part of Phase 1 of the Pune Metro project, which consists of two lines: PCMC to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi. With the completion of this final underground stretch, the metro will now connect several densely populated areas such as Kasba Peth, Budhwar Peth, Mandai, and Swargate.

This new service will allow passengers to travel from PCMC to Swargate in just 34 minutes, with a fare of Rs 35. The District Court Metro station will also serve as an interchange, allowing passengers on the Vanaz-Ramwadi route to switch lines and travel towards Swargate or PCMC.

Initially, the inauguration ceremony was scheduled for September 26 but had to be postponed due to heavy rains in the city. In response to the delay, Mahavikas Aghadi party workers staged protests, demanding the immediate launch of metro services. The protests were called off after assurances from the authorities that the metro would begin operation by Sunday. Finally, the service has now been made available to the public, starting at 4 p.m. today.