The Pune Metro has commenced operations on its extended routes, witnessing a surge in passenger volume between Vanaz to Ruby Hall and Pimpri to District Court. On Thursday, over 28,000 commuters had utilised the route by 7 pm. The daily ridership has surged sixfold since the extension of the line.
The extended metro services commenced operations on August 1 at 5 pm. The 9.7-km stretch connecting Vanaz to Ruby Hall and the 13.9-km route from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to the District Court are now operational. As per the reports, on August 1, a total of 12,918 passengers utilised the Metro, followed by over 30,000 passengers on Wednesday. Till 7 pm on Thursday, the Metro had served 28,698 passengers.
Previously, the metro line operated between Vanaz and Garware College, as well as Pimpri to Phugewadi. Metro services commenced on March 6 last year, with a combined total of 19,78,160 passengers utilising both routes in the inaugural year. Consequently, the metro recorded an average daily ridership of 5,000 during that period. Presently, following the expansion of services, the daily ridership has surged to six times that number, reaching 30,000. However, concerns persist about whether this initial surge in passenger numbers will be sustained in the future.