PUNE: Metro’s reach is set for a big push ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due this year.
The 5.5km Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi Metro section is slated for final inspection and approval by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) next week, while Swargate-Katraj underground stretch is likely to receive the Centre’s approval in a month.
The Ramwadi stretch would be open for commuters before the general elections, sources in the Pune’s political circles said. “A CMRS team held preliminary inspections of the Ruby Hall-Ramwadi stretch last week. Following satisfactory outcome, the team will arrive for the final inspection next week,” a senior Maha Metro official confirmed.
Once the Metro is operational on the Ruby Hall-Ramwadi section, people from the Nagar Road area will be able to directly travel to Deccan Gymkhana and Kothrud, Maha Metro officials said.
The Metro’s stretch till Ruby Hall Clinic was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1, 2023. Sources from BJP’s city unit said they were expecting the PM to inaugurate the Metro stretch till Ramwadi and launch works on the Katraj stretch too.
Regular commuters want the Civil Court to Swargate stretch to open at the earliest. The officials, however, said that it was unlikely to complete the works till Swargate before April.
