Hyderabad: The frequency of metro rail trains between Ameerpet and Raidurg will be increased from August 2020 due to the large commuter crowds on that stretch. Hyderabad Metro Rail is planning to run trains every 2.5 minutes.
At present the trains run every 3.5 minutes during peak hours and seven minutes during non-peak hours. Trains slow down on this stretch because of the low speed limit which has to be maintained and also because of the signalling system which has to be aligned from time to time. Time is also lost because of the wrongful use of the emergency button which is pressed by mistake or by passengers when there is too much of a crowd in the compartment.
Some passengers have also pressed it just to check what it is for, and others wonder if it could open the door.
Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) managing director N.V.S. Reddy said, “We are going to operate two extra trains on that stretch during peak hours once the speed limit is increased. There has been tremendous patronage from the people of Hyderabad for metro rail and the Ameerpet to Raidurg stretch has large crowds during peak hours.”
Four lakh passengers travel every day on the three corridors of the metro rail with 1000 trips daily. The highest number of commuters interchange at Ameerpet metro station which was quite unexpected as studies had shown that Secunderabad metro station would have the higher footfalls.
There have been complaints from passengers of sudden jerks and stops.
“The jerks,” Mr Reddy said, “are due to the curves along the route. We have also noted that the unnecessary use of the emergency button has led to sudden stoppage and that too has caused severe jerks.”
The price of metro rail tickets has also been an issue, but compared to Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Kochi, it is low. Mr Reddy said, “L and T Hyderabad Metro Rail has the right to decide the price as the project here is a private-public partnership. In other metros it is government-funded and yet the prices are high.”
While the JBS to MGBS metro rail has started, will the Old City finally get a metro rail?
Mr Reddy said, “Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is very keen to have a metro rail in the Old City. He was very happy to see the JBS to MGBS stretch and wants a metro service in the Old City too.”
With the land acquisition not yet over and no proper decision on whether it will be 80 feet or 100 feet road-widening there is no clarity on the road map for the Old
City. And neither has a deadline been set for it.
