CMRS begins inspections of Civil Court-Swargate stretch

04 Sep 2024 CW Team

It was reported that safety inspections for the Metro's Civil Court-Swargate underground stretch have finally commenced, raising hopes that the service may become operational in September. A team from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) was said to be inspecting the tunnels, tracks, and underground stations at Swargate, Mandai, and Kasba Peth. The Civil Court to Swargate section remains the last part of the Metro?s Phase-I project yet to open, with all other stretches, such as Vanaz-Ramwadi and Civil Court-PCMC, already functional.

Once CMRS provides approval, the Metro?s coverage will reportedly increase to 33km in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, potentially paving the way for operations to begin. A Maha Metro official mentioned that the entire process of CMRS inspection and certification could be completed by mid-September. The government will then decide when to commence services for commuters once the stretch is ready for commercial use.

Political sources indicated that the state government might avoid delaying the opening of the Swargate stretch, given that the code of conduct for the upcoming state assembly elections was expected soon. Commuters such as Nikhil Deshpande and Ketan Pandit emphasised the need to begin services without further delays, noting the potential benefits of Metro operations during the upcoming Ganeshotsav festival.

Additionally, commuters have expressed a desire for the Metro to operate until midnight during the 10-day Ganeshotsav, as this could reduce private vehicles on the roads. Currently, the last Metro trains leave at 10pm from Pimpri, Civil Court, Ramwadi, and Vanaz. Some residents, like Vishal Landge and Saili Barve, highlighted that they would prefer using the Metro, particularly with the festival around the corner and ongoing heavy rainfall affecting road travel.

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