Pune Metro Line 3: Baner-Hinjewadi Corridor Update

Pune's most-watched infrastructure project, Metro Line 3 connecting Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar, is entering its final construction phase, and the Baner stretch is seeing visible movement on the ground. As per the latest PMRDA update, by the end of March 2026 the physical work of the project was about 94.58% complete and financial progress stood at 97.40%. This is a significant milestone for a corridor that has faced multiple timeline revisions over the years.

The 23.3 km line runs entirely elevated and will connect Hinjewadi with Shivajinagar's Civil Court through 23 elevated stations, developed by the special purpose vehicle Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited, a Tata Realty-Siemens joint venture. For residents and investors around Baner, five stations on this line fall in the immediate vicinity: Balewadi Phata, Baner Gaon, Baner, Krushi Anusadhan and Sakal Nagar, making this one of the best-connected micro-markets once the line is fully operational.

A key development for Baner residents is the integrated double-decker flyover running alongside the metro corridor. Construction of the ramps on the Shivajinagar and Aundh sides of the flyover was completed and opened for traffic on 20 August 2025. More recently, the Baner ramp opened for traffic on 8 March 2026, while work on the Pashan ramp is still in progress. This means commuters travelling between Baner and Shivajinagar are already experiencing reduced travel times on the road network, even before the metro itself becomes operational on this segment.

On the metro construction side, utility relocation work that often causes delays is nearly done. Shifting of electrical high voltage lines of 220 kV and 132 kV has already started, and the work of shifting other utilities is around 95% complete. This clears the way for final track and station finishing works along the Baner-Sakal Nagar-University stretch.

The project has been split into two operational phases for a phased rollout. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, confirmed in July 2026 that the first operational section of Metro Line 3 will run from Maan in Hinjawadi to Balewadi, covering 13.3 km with 12 stations. This stretch, however, saw a short delay: the launch was postponed as the project awaited final technical and safety clearances from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety, whose team inspected the corridor between July 5 and July 9, 2026. Officials indicated the certification was expected shortly after, paving the way for commercial operations on the Hinjewadi-Balewadi leg.

Once that first leg opens, attention shifts squarely to the Baner-carrying stretch. Following the launch of the Hinjawadi-Balewadi section, construction efforts will shift to the remaining stretch between Balewadi and the District Court station in Shivajinagar. This is the segment that runs directly through Baner Gaon, Baner and Sakal Nagar stations, and its completion will finally give Baner residents a direct, elevated metro link to both the IT corridor in Hinjewadi and the civic and business hub in Shivajinagar.

At the state level, the project has strong political backing for further expansion. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, speaking at the inauguration of Metro Bhavan in March 2026, said a 200-kilometre metro network will be developed in Pune in the coming years, considering the city's rapid growth, with instructions already given to Maha Metro to prepare a detailed expansion plan. He also noted that Pune Metro is receiving an encouraging response from citizens, with around 2.5 lakh passengers travelling daily, underlining the scale of demand this corridor is expected to absorb once fully operational.

For homebuyers evaluating Baner today, the message is clear: road infrastructure (the double-decker flyover) is already functional, utility works are almost complete, and the metro's first leg is going live in mid-2026, with the Baner-Shivajinagar leg to follow. This makes Baner one of the few Pune micro-markets where physical connectivity upgrades are visibly ahead of most competing locations, a factor that typically supports both rental demand and capital appreciation over the medium term.