Pune: The Central Government has given the green light for the proposed Swargate-Katraj metro corridor, spanning 5.5 kilometers and featuring underground stations at Market Yard, Padmavati, and Katraj. However, no decision has been made regarding the inclusion of a metro station at Balajinagar.
On Monday (January 20), Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal met with Pune Metro officials to review the project. She instructed them to assess the feasibility of adding two stations—Balajinagar (near Bharati Vidyapeeth) and a newly proposed Sahakarnagar-Bibwewadi station.
The feasibility study will focus on whether five stations can be accommodated within the approved stretch, considering financial implications and planning challenges.
Misal emphasized the importance of catering to public demand while maintaining the project's efficiency. “There is strong public demand for stations at Balajinagar and Sahakarnagar-Bibwewadi. Discussions were held to evaluate the feasibility of adding these stations without compromising the overall corridor,” she said.
The Swargate-Katraj metro line will proceed to the tendering and construction phase soon, according to metro officials. The metro administration is also preparing proposals for integrating multimodal transport solutions to ease city traffic congestion. Plans include connecting the Swargate transport hub with the state bus terminal and linking Shivajinagar metro station with Shivajinagar bus station.
In addition to this project, other metro corridor proposals are advancing. The Vanaz-Chandni Chowk and Ramwadi-Wagholi corridors await final cabinet approval. Two more proposed routes, Khadakwasla-Kharadi and Manikbag-Warje-SNDT, are under expert review by the Central Government.
Key Points:
Approved Metro stations: Market Yard, Padmavati, and Katraj.
Proposed new stations: Balajinagar and Sahakarnagar-Bibwewadi.
Feasibility study to determine additional station inclusion.
Efforts underway to integrate metro stations with city bus and rickshaw stands.
Pending corridor approvals: Vanaz-Chandni Chowk, Ramwadi-Wagholi, Khadakwasla-Kharadi, and Manikbag-Warje-SNDT.
