Pune, June 18, 2026 : Repeated construction delays on Pune Metro Line 3, the elevated corridor connecting Hinjewadi's IT hub to Shivajinagar, have pushed project costs up by approximately 20 per cent over the originally approved outlay of ₹8,313 crore, with the concessionaire set to absorb the additional financial burden entirely.
When asked at a media briefing on Wednesday whether the prolonged delays had led to an increase in overall project costs and who would bear them, Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited CEO Anil Kumar Saini confirmed the escalation and said the Pune IT City Metro and its Tata-Siemens joint venture developing the line would bear the additional cost.
Why the Delays Happened
Saini attributed the primary cause of delay to construction challenges along Ganeshkhind Road, one of Pune's busiest arterial stretches. Work on the densely trafficked corridor could not be carried out during peak hours, forcing construction teams to operate largely at night. The restrictions significantly slowed progress and stretched the overall timeline by more than a year beyond the original schedule.
Where the Project Stands
The first phase of Metro Line 3, a 13.3 km stretch from Maan to the R K Laxman Museum station in Balewadi, covering 12 stations, is fully constructed and has received all mandatory clearances from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety.
Officials said during a media interaction that the first phase of the project, comprising 12 of the corridor's 23 stations, is scheduled for completion by June 30, while work on the second phase is expected to conclude by the end of August. The launch of the first phase has now been advanced to the end of June, with a formal inauguration date expected shortly.
Construction on the remaining 11 stations of the corridor is expected to be completed by August, after which metro operations can begin on most of the remaining stretch, with the exception of Bhosalenagar and Shivajinagar stations, where work is progressing at a slower pace. The full 23-km Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar corridor, comprising all 23 stations, is now projected to be operational by March 2027.
Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL) is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed through a strategic joint venture between TRIL Urban Transport Private Limited (a Tata Group company) and Siemens Project Ventures GmbH for the development, implementation, and operation of Pune Metro Line 3.
The project is being executed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). PMRDA has awarded PITCMRL a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) concession for a period of 35 years, with an option to extend it by an additional 25 years.
Notably, Pune Metro Line 3 is also set to become the first metro corridor in India to be entirely operated by women train operators, marking a significant milestone in gender representation in the country’s urban transport sector.