Pune: Trial run of Pune Metro Rail Project on the six-km stretch between Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and Phugewadi on the Metro Line 1 of PCMC to Swargate was successfully completed on Sunday. This trial run comes nearly one year after the first trial run on one-kilometre stretch between PCMC to Sant Tukaram Nagar was conducted on January 10, 2020.

So far, 45 per cent of the total work of the Pune Metro project has been completed. First the unseasonal rains in October to December 2019 had slowed down the metro project work. It resumed in January 2020, but again got affected in March 2020 when the nationwide lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. Overcoming all these odds, the MahaMetro has managed to cover up the lost time and complete 45 per cent of the work.

THE SIX-KM TRIAL RUN

The trial run began at around 1.30pm on Sunday (January 3, 2021). The Pune Metro started from the PCMC station and reached the Phugewadi station at around 2pm.

MahaMetro Managing Director Dr Brajesh Dixit said, "The successful trial run completed today is the result of painstaking efforts taken by the officers and employees. All citizens of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities have also cooperated and contributed towards the project and it was due to them that the work is being expedited."

Executive Director DD Mishra, Chief Project Engineer Ravi Kumar, Sandeep Sakale, Shriram Manjhi, Raja Raman, Ravi Tata and other officers participated in this trial run and ensured that it was completed successfully. Chetan Phadke operated the train.