Pune: The frequency of Metro trains is set to go up during peak hours , following an increase in daily footfall beyond one lakh. From Thursday, the trains will run every seven minutes from 8am to 11am and 4pm to 8pm instead of seven and a half minutes earlier. During non-peak hour slots, the trains will operate every 10 minutes.
"Maximum commuters are travelling during peak hours, prompting an increase in frequency. The Vanaz to Ramwadi and PCMC to Civil Court routes have recorded a steady rise in ridership in the last three months. In July, the average daily ridership was beyond one lakh, with over 31 lakh commuters availing of the services," a Metro official said.
"The increase in frequency will reduce the waiting time of commuters at all stations," the official said. The Metro authorities are expecting the ridership to go up further in the coming days, with the Yerawada station becoming operational for commuters and the extension of the services till Swargate in the next few months. As per the data, over 20 lakh commuters travelled on the Vanaz to Ramwadi route in July and around 10 lakh commuters on the PCMC to Civil Court route.
"Maha Metro has an adequate number of rakes to manage the increased frequency of train operations," the official said. Meanwhile, regular commuters have called for extended train timings. "The authorities should run the trains till midnight to increase footfall.
It will also benefit those travelling to the railway station or the airport for late-night flights," a regular Metro commuter said. At present, the Metro runs from 6am to 10pm..
