The Hyderabad Metro Rail project received a shot in the arm with the Railway Board clarifying that the South Central Railway (SCR) will not be levying ‘Traffic Block’ charges for permitting crossing over the rail lines at eight designated sites across the three metro rail corridors.
The decision comes quickly after a recent meeting the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu recently when the issue was broached. Mr. Rao thanked Mr. Prabhu for immediately resolving the issue and thereby speeding up construction of Rail Over Bridges (ROBs) besides saving about Rs.80 crore (@ Rs.10 crore per crossing).
The Metro corridors cross the tracks – Alugaddabavi, Mettuguda, Oliphanta bridge, Bhoiguda, Begumpet, Bharat Nagar, Lakdikapul and Malakpet.
The Railway Board also stated that Railways shall encourage development of metro/suburban rail projects by not levying ‘Traffic Block’ charges towards detention of wagons and passenger trains.
Work on the Bharat Nagar Metro crossing works is to be take up immediately along with other high priority metro crossing works at Mettuguda and Alugaddabavi, said HMR MD N.V.S. Reddy.
Earlier in the day, principal secretary, MA&UD, M.G.Gopal inspected the ongoing Metro Rail works between Nagole and Mettuguda along with Mr. N.V.S. Reddy, GHMC special officer & commissioner Somesh Kumar and senior police officers of Hyderabad and Cyberabad.
Junction improvement works, station premises at road level and road re-engineering works were reviewed. Work on safe pedestrian access facilities, bus bays, auto bays, street furniture and other facilities at Nagole and Uppal stations is to begin soon. HMR was advised to firm up plans for the remaining stretch between Uppal junction and Mettuguda in consultation with R&B, Water Board and Traffic Police authorities.
