The much-awaited metro rail connectivity to Hi Tec City has happened with Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan flagging off the services from the Ameerpet Interchange station at 9.30 a.m. amidst a galaxy of top metro rail, municipal and police officials on Wednesday.
The commercial operations for the general public begins from 4 p.m. onwards and initially at a frequency of 9-12 minutes from Ameerpet to HiTec City. Last train will be at 10.30 p.m. from Hi Tec City.
It is taking up to 15 minutes to travel on the 10 km route with halts now restricted to Taruni-Madhura Nagar, Yousufguda, Jubilee Hills Road No.5 and Durgam Cheruvu apart from Hi Tec City to keep up with the speeds in other corridors as well as frequency.
While passengers coming from Nagole can go straight to Hi Tec City and vice-a-versa; passengers travelling on Corridor-I of Miyapur-LB Nagar (29 km) will have to change trains at Ameerpet, if they have to go towards Hi Tec City. Now, 56 km of the 66 km of metro rail has been opened.
Hyderabad Metro Rail Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy and L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad CEO & MD K.V.B. Reddy informed that efforts were on to synchronise operations on this route with the trains coming from Nagole frequency/speed wise till the 600 metres ‘reversal’ viaduct construction between Hotel Trident and Cyber Towers is completed in May.
The duo stated that the number of passengers commuting daily on the metro rail is expected to cross three lakh mark from the existing 1.80 lakh once the Hi Tec City line stabilises as they expect patronage from the employees of IT/ITES firms of the area considering the reduced travel time, comfort of an air-conditioned and pollution free green commute.
Another 1.5 km up to terminal Raidurg station is also slated for completion later this year so that Corridor III - Nagole to Hi Tec City/Raidurg of 28 km is completed in all respects.
Corridor Two - Jubilee Bus Station to MGBS of 9.5 km is expected to be completed by November while Old City route of about 5 km from MGBS to Falaknuma still remains to be built.
Along with the Governor, Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, DGP M. Mahender Reddy, Municipal Administration Secretary Arvind Kumar, Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar, GHMC Commissioner M. Dana Kishore and others travelled on the maiden run till Hi Tec City non-stop and returned by the same train after checking the station and environs.
