Pune Metro witnessed record ridership during Ganeshotsav, with nearly 2.84 lakh commuters on Sunday and 3.48 lakh on Saturday.
Newly opened Kasba Peth and Mandai stations made it easier for devotees to reach the city center, with Mandai recording the highest footfall.
Metro services were increased to meet the festive rush, with trains running every three minutes instead of the usual six.
Pune, 1st September 2025: Pune’s Metro became the preferred choice for thousands of devotees visiting the city’s central areas to witness Ganesh festival decorations and processions. With heavy road traffic across Pune, large crowds turned to the Metro throughout the weekend, easing their travel to the bustling heart of the city.
According to Pune Metro officials, over 2.84 lakh people travelled on Sunday, with Mandai station alone handling nearly 45,000 passengers. Pimpri station recorded around 33,700 passengers, while Swargate saw over 24,800. The newly opened Kasba Peth and Mandai stations, located in Pune’s traditional core, played a crucial role in handling the festive crowd, making it easier for devotees to reach the main celebration hubs.
On Saturday, ridership was even higher, with 3.48 lakh passengers, generating revenue of ₹46.83 lakh. Normally, Pune Metro carries over two lakh passengers on weekdays, but the festival season brought a sharp surge in numbers.
To manage the rush, the frequency of trains was increased to one every three minutes instead of the usual six. While 554 trips were scheduled on Sunday, extra runs were added to accommodate the growing crowd.
Metro officials appealed to passengers not to crowd a single station. Commuters were advised to use Kasba Peth and PMC stations for entry and Mandai station for return journeys to avoid congestion.
Chandrashekhar Tambavekar, Additional Director (Public Relations and Administration), said the Metro has arranged extra trips and is working to ensure smoother passenger flow during the Ganesh festival rush.
