Pune Metro starts groundwork on Line 1 project

Construction work on the Pune Metro rail project is currently moving at a slow pace due to the COVID-19 lockdown as only the essential work such as excavation on routes and deployment of machinery is going on, said official sources, adding that after the lockdown is lifted, all major construction work will resume with the coordination of the contractors. Tunneling work in the northern end of the underground metro stations is currently in progress through a special New Austrian Tunnelling Method or NATM technique and about 49.64 percent excavation work has been completed for the underground as well as elevated metro stations of the project. The excavation work on the metro routes involves deployment of machinery on the ground, which is a part of essential work during the lockdown period and the work is likely to continue until the lockdown is lifted. The project's Line 1 which covers PCMS-Swargate and Line 2 which covers Vanaz-Ramwadi have to become operational by 2022. Sant Tukaram to Phugewadi route of the PCMC-Swargate Line 1 section will be the first part to get operational in the next few months. Pune Metro has become the fastest metro project in the country to reach the milestone of conducting trial runs in just a period of 30 months.