Hyderabad metro exhibits rail coach for public

L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited, which is developing the Hyderabad metro rail project, on Wednesday inaugurated the first rolling stock unit (rail coach). It has decided to display it for public before the metro's Stage-I launch on March 2015.

Opened to public by chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, the inauguration-cum-exhibition was jointly organised by the project partners L&T Metro and Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL). Speaking at the venue, the chief minister said, "the metro will add value to the city".

NVS Reddy, managing director, HMRL, said works on the project were progressing according to the plan, with good progress on open depot works at various locations. He said the arrival of rolling cars would begin from May 2014 and was hopeful of meeting the project's Stage-I launch.

According to him, travelling at an average speed of 30-40 kmph, each train, equipped with six cars has the capacity to ferry 2,000 commuters in one direction. When fully operational, the metro's 30 trains moving at a frequency of 120 seconds, would move 60,000 passengers in one trip.

Being introduced for the first time in the country, the metro will operate on a commuter-based train control (CBTC) system.

This feature allows it to start each trip automatically and simultaneously, while the operations would be controlled from an operational control centre, located at Uppal in the city.

"The CBTC technology would be adopted in Phase-II of Delhi Metro," said Reddy.

The other key feature includes the regeneration of energy while braking, helping the metro to optimise energy consumption.

"The project will generate green credits and the quantum would depend on the project's delivery," said Jagmohan Lal Arora, general manager, rolling stock and depot, L&T Metro.