Metro Rail Gets 4 Out Of 7 Trains For Stage-1 Between Nagole & Mettuguda

3 more trains, each consisting of 3 coaches and an engine, have reached the Uppal depot. These three trains which arrived to Chennai port from South Korea a fortnight ago were carefully brought to Hyderabad on special multi-wheeled road trailers. The first Metro train was received in May and is undergoing various tests at Uppal Metro Rail Depot.

So far 4 out of 7 trains required for Stage-I Metro operations between Nagole and Mettuguda (8 km) have been received. The remaining 3 trains will be received in the next few months. On being informed by MD, HMR NVS Reddy about the successful arrival of Metro trains ahead of schedule, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao complimented him and L&TMRHL management. He advised them to consult experts and take all safety precautions before starting trial runs.

L&T MRHL placed an order with Hyundai Rotem of South Korea for a total of 171 coaches (57 trains) at a cost of about Rs.1800 crore for the needs of all the three corridors of the project (72km), which is scheduled for completion by June 2017. Stage I of the project, Nagole-Mettuguda section (8 km and seven stations) is scheduled for opening for passenger traffic on Ugadi next year (March 21, 2015). Elaborate safety tests and trial runs will have to be conducted for about six months for safety certification by CMRS.

Each coach will have a passenger carrying capacity of about 330 people and thus a three-coach train can carry up to 1000 passengers in one direction. The trains will be expanded to six coaches after traffic picks up. Hyderabad Metro has gone for the latest CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) Technology for the first time in India. After Hyderabad, Delhi Metro has opted for this technology for its next phase. This Radio based communication and Train Control system gives signaling capacity to run a train every 90 seconds (1.5 minutes). Initially the frequency of the trains will be five to ten minutes during peak hours, which can be later brought down to two minutes.

On ‘driver less’ technology, with state-of-the-art features, these coaches have automatic door closure and opening mechanism; secondary air suspension for better riding comfort; CCTV surveillance for safety and security; fail safe pneumatic emergency air braking; longitudinal seating arrangement; well designed grab poles; fool-proof safety features and so on. Mobile laptop charging points; dedicated space for wheel chairs (for physically handicapped passengers); onboard fire and smoke detection system; LCD TVs for dynamic route display, entertainment and infotainment; wide gangways for passenger comfort; aesthetic paneling; color combination and so on have been provided to give world class travel comfort for the commuters. Some of these sophisticated features are being introduced for the first time in India ahead of Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru and about 30% of power will be regenerated to be fed back into the system. They will run at a maximum operating speed of 80 Kmph, thus giving average speeds of 33 to 35 Kmph due to stoppages at every station. This average speed is 3 times the average road vehicle speeds in Hyderabad claim the Metro sources.