Pune Metro: First Trial Run On Underground Section Between Range Hills And Civil Court Is Complete

On Tuesday (6 December), a metro rake successfully completed its first test run between the Range Hills and Civil Court stations in Pune's underground segment, covering three kilometres in around 30 minutes.

About 33 km Phase-1 of the Pune Metro comprises 29 stations and two lines — Vanaz to Ramwadi and Pimpri Chinchwad to Swargate. 

The route from Vanaz to Ramwadi is elevated, whereas the route from Shivajinagar to Swargate is underground, and Pimpri Chinchwad to Rangehill is elevated.

Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MahaMetro), a joint special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Government of India (GoI) and Government of Maharashtra (GoM), is the executing agency of Pune Metro rail project. 

Pune Metro is being developed at the cost of Rs 12,000 crore. 

Multiple parameters were examined during the trial run and similar trials will continue as needed, according to MahaMetro officials.

The underground trials take on added significance, as the rakes pass through the tunnels for the first time.

MahaMetro has set a goal of finishing all work up to Civil Court interchange station by the end of the following month, reports Economic Times. 

According to MahaMetro, the trial run for the final leg of the Civil Court to Swargate route would also start soon.

Commercial operations on two sections of Phase 1 — from Vanaz to Garware College and Pimpri Chinchwad to Phugewadi — were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March this year.

Trials were supposed to start in the underground part in November, but the plan was postponed since land wasn't available for the construction of a viaduct in the Khadki and Range Hills portion.

The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is also developing a 23.3-km elevated line from Civil Court to Hinjawadi, comprising 23 stations.

The line will align with the MahaMetro lines at the Civil Court interchange station. Tata Realty-Siemens is undertaking the project on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer model.

In the second phase, MahaMetro plans to expand the metro rail to additional routes, which also includes Neo Metro on the proposed 43-kilometre High Capacity Mass Transit Route in Pune and 31-km in Pimpri-Chinchwad. The DPR (detailed project report) is currently under preparation.