Pune Metro Expansion to Airport Encounters Roadblocks
Pune Metro Expansion to Airport Encounters Roadblocks
The extension of the Pune Metro to the airport is facing significant hurdles, raising doubts about the feasibility of the proposed route from Vanaj to Ramwadi to Lohegaon Airport. It appears that the plan may not materialize as expected, necessitating the exploration of alternative routes for providing metro services to the airport.
Currently, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and the Pune Municipal Corporation are actively engaged in the development of three metro lines. The segment between Vanaj and Ramwadi is being executed by Maha Metro, with the route plan designed by Delhi Metro. There has long been a clamor for a metro connection to Lohegaon Airport, a suggestion also endorsed by Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar. However, practical considerations have revealed obstacles to implementing this proposal.
Maha Metro, responsible for evaluating the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) prepared by PMRDA, has concluded that integrating the existing Vanaj to Ramwadi Metro line with Lohegaon Airport is not feasible. Consequently, no further progress has been made in this direction within the current plan. To accommodate a metro route to the airport, extensive modifications would be required, including halting ongoing work, demolishing existing infrastructure, and reconfiguring the route, a process estimated to take one and a half to two years. This necessitates decisive action from the state government and municipal corporation.
Given the challenges associated with extending the metro to Lohegaon Airport, alternative routes are being actively explored. Maha Metro is presently revising the CMP, providing an opportunity to incorporate considerations for potential new routes. As it stands, the proposal to extend the metro to the airport remains confined to paper, awaiting strategic decisions and innovative solutions to overcome the existing obstacles.
