Pune News: Madhuri Misal Proposes New Metro Station on Katraj-Swargate Corridor, Promises Faster Project Execution
Pune News: Madhuri Misal Proposes New Metro Station on Katraj-Swargate Corridor, Promises Faster Project Execution
Madhuri Misal, the Minister of State for Urban Development, has suggested adding another Metro station on the Katraj-Swargate route and has committed to speed up the start of underground Metro construction in this area. During a meeting with Metro officials on Monday, she reviewed the progress of Pune Metro.
Regarding the Katraj-Swargate corridor, she mentioned, “We are working towards adding two more Metro stations—one at Sahakar Nagar-Bibvewadi and another at Balaji Nagar. We are hopeful that these additions will receive approval.”
Initially, the Katraj-Swargate Metro corridor was planned to have only three stations: Marketyard, Padmavati, and Katraj. Later, Maha Metro suggested adding a station at Balaji Nagar, which received support from the Pune Municipal Corporation’s standing committee.
It is worthy to note that this is the second additional metro station proposed on the route after Balaji Nagar.
Regarding the timeline for the project, Misal mentioned, “The tender process for the Katraj-Swargate corridor is expected to wrap up by March. Once the tenders are finalized, work orders will be issued immediately, and construction will commence within two months.” She also noted that two new Metro corridors—Vanaz to Chandani Chowk and Ramwadi to Wagholi-Vitthalwadi—are likely to gain approval from the Central government soon.
“The proposals are currently under review by the cabinet, and we anticipate receiving final approval shortly,” she stated.
Highlighting the significance of adding the two new stations on the Swargate-Katraj corridor, Misal instructed officials to carry out a feasibility study.
The review meeting included Pune Metro Managing Director Shravan Hardikar, Infrastructure director Atul Gadgil, and other senior officials, such as Vinodkumar Agrawal and Hemant Sonawane.
Highlighting the state government’s commitment to addressing Pune’s increasing traffic challenges, Misal stated, “Expediting the Metro project is a significant step in resolving the city’s traffic woes. Additionally, we are working on improving the city’s bus transport system.”
When asked about the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), the minister explained that while it has been successful in other cities, it faced challenges in Pune due to the inadequate bus fleet of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). She remarked, “BRTS is a concept of fast commuting by bus and not a road-based concept. The more strength of buses, the better will be BRTS. The shortage of buses is the main reason, and the lack of space for sufficient dedicated BRTS routes also hampered it, turning it into a cause of road congestion instead of enhancing public transport.” Misal added that 1,000 new buses will be added to the PMPML bus fleet soon.
She mentioned that the government is looking into the possibility of reconnecting the Swargate MSRTC bus stand with the Swargate Metro station. “The initial plan included this integration, but the previous administration decided to separate it from the Metro project. Since both MSRTC and the Urban Development Department are under my jurisdiction, I will make sure that the necessary actions are taken to restore this connection,” Misal said.
Additionally, she noted, “The administration has been instructed to create a comprehensive map of all bus stops, railway stations, metro stations, and autorickshaw stands. This map will be displayed in various locations throughout the city to raise awareness among residents and facilitate easier access to public transport systems.”
