Pune Metro services will run at a five-minute frequency during peak hours for Ganeshotsav as Maha Metro has begun trial runs of the shorter interval. The agency has been conducting three-day trials of the five-minute frequency after operating at a six-minute interval. Operators are monitoring the trials and adjusting timetables as required. The change is intended to ease passenger movement during the festival rush.

Ridership on the system has risen sharply, with daily passengers reaching nearly 0.28 million (mn), prompting the adjustment. Maha Metro operates services on the Vanaz–Ramwadi and Pimpri Chinchwad–Swargate corridors, which together serve major commuter flows across the city. The city has been registering higher public transport use during festival periods. The authority expects the additional services to absorb the surge in demand associated with festival travel.

To handle the expected increase in passengers all 33 three-coach rakes in the fleet will be deployed, up from 30 rakes currently in regular service. Under the revised deployment 17 rakes will run on the Vanaz–Ramwadi route while 16 will be assigned to the Pimpri Chinchwad–Swargate corridor, allowing more trips in busy periods. At present the two corridors together operate 554 trips every day and the shorter intervals during peak hours will raise that number. That is expected to reduce waiting times and ease crowding at stations and inside trains and station staff will manage passenger flows to speed boarding and alighting.

During non-peak hours metro services will continue at a 10-minute frequency so that capacity matches demand outside busy periods. The managing director noted that rising ridership reflects strong public response to the service and that operational adjustments are being made accordingly. Passengers are advised to plan journeys and use alternate services where possible to avoid congestion. The revised schedule is expected to provide relief to passengers during Ganeshotsav and improve circulation across the network.