Hyderabad Metro Rail trial runs from June

Trial runs to go on for nine months before being certified fit for public transportation

Laying of tracks in progress on the Hyderabad Metro Rail stretch near Uppal on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Metro Rail authorities are planning to begin trial runs of the first train on the elevated track nearing completion between Nagole and Mettuguda from June 2014 onwards.

The trial runs will go on for at least nine months before the Commissioner of Rail Safety certifies it fit for allowing public transportation.

“The current year was a tumultuous but a satisfactory year for us. It’s a real achievement considering that the project was written off as jinxed. While there are no major hurdles, the challenges of construction like land acquisition, shift of utilities pipelines belonging to telephones, power, water and sewer, remain,” said Hyderabad Metro Rail Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy on Saturday.

Interacting with presspersons, Mr. Reddy said that coaches sourced from Hyundai Rotem will start arriving by May next year for the trial runs to begin. About 10 km of rail tracks sourced from Tata Corus (France) have been laid on the above mentioned section.

He was confident that the scheduled date of launching passenger service on ‘Ugadi’ of 2015 on the section would be met.

Thus far, close to Rs.4,000 crore has been spent on the project with Rs.3,100 crore by L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) constructing the project as the concessionaire, and Rs. 900 crore by Hyderabad Metro Rail for land acquisitions and so on.

About 70 per cent of the viaduct and 90 per cent of overhead stations too is being pre-cast to avoid traffic disruptions on the ground below.

“Our aim in the months ahead is to get most foundations and piers done so that we can work atop without disturbing the traffic below,” said Mr. Reddy. L&TMRH taking up the entire project in one go, cooperation of Uppal farmers in lending their lands for the project, Dalit organisations in allowing the right of way across sensitive sites and certain bold decisions by the government has helped the works to move on.

The Hyderabad Metro Rail Managing Director asserted that the project was superior to all other metros coming up elsewhere in the country thanks to the ‘latecomer advantage’.

“The city is with us. We have managed to stir up the imaginations of the people by explaining the benefits of a safe and reliable public transport,” Mr. Reddy added.