Hyderabad Metro starts operations on Ameerpet-LB Nagar route

The Hyderabad Metro Rail on Monday commenced its operations on the 16-km Ameerpet-LB Nagar line.

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan flagged off the train at the Ameerpet station in the presence of Telangana's Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao, other ministers and top officials.

With the 46-km length operational, the Hyderabad Metro has become India's second largest metro rail network after Delhi.

The 30-km stretch between Uppal and Miyapur is already in operation since November 2017.

The Ameerpet-LB Nagar line completed the first corridor of the elevated Metro Rail from LB Nagar to Miyapur (29 km).

The 16-km stretch thrown open on Monday has 17 stations. It passes through one of the most congested traffic corridors, which includes areas like Lakdi Ka Pul, Assembly, Nampally, Moazzam Jahi Market and Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS).

According to officials, the metro train at an average speed of 32 kmph initially would cover the 29-km distance in 52 minutes against two hours by road.

The initial frequency of one train every five minutes will be increased to 2 minutes gradually.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Hyderabad Metro in November 2017 with the commencement of service on the Uppal-Miyapur route. According to officials, an average of 85,000 passengers were using the metro service on a daily basis.

The opening of Ameerpet-LB Nagar marks a key milestone in the development of the 72-km elevated metro project.

Billed as the largest metro project in the world in Public Private Partnership (PPP), it is being built by infrastructure giant L&T at a cost of over Rs 14,000 crore.

--IANS

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