The Maharashtra Cabinet Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday approved two new metro rail routes from Hadapsar to Loni Kalbhor and Hadapsar to Saswad Road Railway Station, to be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 5.7 billion. Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar announced that the proposal was approved during a meeting chaired by Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had cleared the proposal in February this year before forwarding it to the state government. The infrastructure committee’s approval will now be placed before the state cabinet and subsequently sent to the Union government for final clearance. The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (Maha-Metro), which is implementing the Pune Metro Rail Project, prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for these two new lines. The routes will form part of the Phase II expansion, connecting Khadakwasla to Kharadi via Hadapsar. Together, the two routes span 16 kilometres and include 14 elevated stations. According to Pawar, the new metro lines will ease road congestion along the Pune–Solapur Road and reduce dependence on private vehicles. “The project will provide a safe, efficient, and eco-friendly mode of transport for Pune residents,” he said. The DPR specifies that the Hadapsar–Loni Kalbhor line will stretch 11.35 km with 10 stations, while the Hadapsar–Saswad Road line will cover 5.57 km with four stations. The funding model allocates 20 per cent of the cost each to the state and Union governments, while the remaining 60 per cent will be raised through loans. PMC officials clarified that the civic body will not provide a financial guarantee for loan repayment but will contribute Rs 3.6 million for land acquisition. Atul Gadgil, Director of Pune Metro Rail, stated that these two sections would serve as spur lines of the Kharadi via Hadapsar and Swargate–Khadakwasla corridors, both already approved by the state government. The Hadapsar–Loni Kalbhor line will feature stations at Hadapsar Phata, Hadapsar Bus Depot, Akashwani-Hadapsar, Laxmi Colony, Stad Farm, Manjari Phata, Draksha Baug, Toll Naka, Wak Vasti, and Loni Kalbhor. The Hadapsar–Saswad Road line will include Hadapsar Gliding Club, Fursungi IT Park, Sulabh Garden, and Saswad Road Railway Station.