Pune, 10th July 2025: In response to a sharp rise in daily ridership, Maha Metro is preparing to increase the frequency of its trains on the Vanaz–Ramwadi and PCMC–Swargate corridors. Officials confirmed that Metro services will soon operate at five-minute intervals, particularly in the lead-up to the Ganeshotsav festival, when footfall is expected to peak.
Currently, trains run every seven minutes during peak hours and every ten minutes during off-peak periods. However, growing congestion, especially during morning and evening rush hours, has prompted regular commuters to demand more frequent services or longer trains. Metro officials are now working to meet that demand.
“We are in the final stages of planning to reduce the interval between trains to five minutes. The technical infrastructure is already in place, and our operations team is currently aligning schedules,” a senior Maha Metro official said.
Passenger numbers have been steadily climbing in recent months. In June 2025 alone, Pune Metro recorded over 52 lakh commuters, the highest monthly ridership since its launch. The daily average now stands at approximately 1.75 lakh passengers, up from 1.5 lakh just a few months ago.
Officials attribute the increase to seasonal monsoon conditions and worsening road traffic, which have made the Metro a more reliable commuting option. “With traffic delays and rain-related disruptions, Metro is clearly the safer and faster choice,” noted a regular commuter from Kothrud.
While commuters have also called for the expansion of the current three-coach trains, Maha Metro officials have stated that adding more coaches will be considered in a phased manner based on demand. The existing infrastructure, including platforms, is already designed to handle six-coach trains, and the rakes can eventually be upgraded. “Our priority for now is to increase frequency. Coach expansion will come later, depending on operational feasibility,” the official added.
The Metro’s readiness for high-frequency service was recently demonstrated during the Palkhi festival, when trains successfully ran at five-minute intervals. As Ganeshotsav approaches and the city braces for more traffic congestion, officials are expected to implement the new frequency plan in the coming weeks, aiming to provide smoother and more reliable travel for Pune’s growing Metro user base.