Hinjawadi Metro – A Saga of Unending Delays and a Tantalizing Wait
Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Metro, or Pune Metro Line 3, whatever you choose to call it, nothing changes on the ground.
Hinjawadi, a bustling suburb on the western outskirts of Pune is bursting at its seams. Large IT conglomerates like TCS, Infosys and Tech Mahindra bring thousands of skilled professionals into the IT Park daily, but the infrastructure creaks, moans and buckles under pressure.
All this was about to change.
In December 2018, the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minster Narendra Modi for a metro corridor, connecting the IT Park to the heart of Pune City – Shivajinagar.
Property prices soared, local landowners struck gold and developers sold apartments built on metro dreams. The IT Park, just at the anticipation of metro, got even more crowded, a crowd nobody seemed to mind because the solution to decongest the neighborhood seemed in sight!
Fast forward to October 2026, eight years later, we are still waiting for that sweet music to fall on our ears – the news of Pune Metro Line 3 starting commercial operations.
Multiple deadlines, dates, and a string of unfulfilled promises came and went by, but the commuters in Hinjawadi are still grappling with traffic, potholes, and waterlogging.
From its originally promised opening date of March 2025, we are now in October 2026, full 19 months behind schedule. In between, at least five completion deadlines came and went without materializing.
CMRS clearance, VVIP dates for inauguration and poll codes, we have seen it all.
What is more tantalizing is to see the trains now running on tracks frequently, albeit without paying passengers. There are memes on social media asking, “Khud to roz ghumte ho, hamein kab ghumaoge?”
With the tracks ready and CMRS clearance for 17 stations and entire the track in place, what’s stopping the authorities from starting the service?
Inauguration? Why not get a common man or a woman to inaugurate the service? After all the common people of this country own, fund and use the infrastructure, so why wait for VVIPs?
Hinjawadi commuters need an answer.
Vineet Gupta is the Founder and Managing Editor of PuneNow, where he leads editorial coverage on Pune’s civic developments, local infrastructure, traffic, and urban governance. With an academic background from the University of Wales and professional experience across journalism, hospitality, finance, and academia, Vineet brings a unique perspective to hyper-local journalism. Based in Pune, he is passionate about empowering residents with accurate, timely news that affects their daily lives, while also offering insightful commentary on mindful living, parenting, and community connection.
