Pune Metro has announced a major special travel plan for Ganeshotsav 2026 to manage the expected surge in passenger numbers during the festival. In view of the thousands of devotees and visitors who are expected to come through Pune to visit Ganesh mandals and see the immersion processions, Maha Metro is extending operating hours and trains are running more frequently. And what will be the major reason for this is a continuous 41-hour metro during Anant Chaturdashi and commuters can take advantage of the convenient public transit during the festival.
The special Metro schedule will be implemented from September 14 to September 26, 2026. During the first three days, from September 14 to September 16, trains will run on the regular schedule from 6 am to 11 pm. The extended night service will start from September 17 and trains will run until 2 am to ferry devotees and visitors late at night.
The most significant change has been made for Anant Chaturdashi, which falls on September 25. Pune Metro will operate continuously from 6 am on September 25 until 11 pm on September 26, providing 41 hours of uninterrupted service. The longer service is intended to support commuters who take part in Ganesh visarjan processions, especially those who travel to and from central Pune in the night and early morning hours. Normal metro hours of 6 am to 11 pm will be resumed from September 27.
Another big feature of the Ganeshotsav plan is the increase in train frequency in the peak hours. The metro trains will be running at intervals of about 5 minutes during the busiest times between September 14 and September 25. The increased frequency is to control the high passenger traffic expected during the festival. At the peak period trains run at six-minute intervals and around 10-minute intervals in the other hours.
Pune Metro has two important corridors. The PCMC-Swargate corridor (line 1) is about 17.5 km long and has 14 stations. The journey along the corridor takes around 34 minutes. Vanaz-Ramwadi or line 2 is about 14.5 km long and has 16 stations. The journey time is around 37 minutes. Both corridors will be part of the special arrangements for the festival period.
Metro officials are also preparing for crowd management at stations which are expected to be the busiest and are likely to have heavy footfall. The Mahatma Phule Mandai Metro Station is expected to be crowded with people because it is situated near the major Ganesh mandals and immersion procession routes.
For devotees travelling on the PCMC-Swargate Line, authorities have advised passengers heading towards the Peth areas to get down at Kasba Peth Metro Station and proceed towards the Ganesh mandals from there. Passengers travelling on the Vanaz-Ramwadi Line can use PMC Metro Station for reaching central Pune and nearby areas. Once darshan is over, commuters can use Mahatma Phule Mandai for their return journey according to the special travel advisory.
The extended Metro services are expected to provide city residents with immense relief in a time of heavy congestion on Pune’s roads. With masses of people going to Ganesh darshan and immersion procession on the road, public transportation is sure to contribute to reducing the road traffic in the city.
The special 41-hour service is especially important because Anant Chaturdashi draws huge crowds throughout the day and night. Metro services will help to keep devotees happy and to be a safe and convenient alternative to cars, authorities say.
Commuters travelling during Ganeshotsav are advised to check station-level announcements and follow crowd-control instructions issued by Metro authorities. With increased frequency, extended operating hours and special arrangements at crowded stations, Pune Metro's Ganeshotsav plan is expected to make festival travel easier for residents and visitors alike.
