Ameerpet to Hi-Tec City Metro launch tomorrow

Hyderabad: The much-awaited Ameerpet to Hi-Tech City stretch of Metro Rail Corridor-III will start operations on Wednesday.

Governor ESL Narasimhan will flag off Metro train operations.

The 10-km stretch with nine stations (including Ameerpet station) will establish the crucial metro rail connectivity to the highly congested IT/ITES service areas of Hi-Tech City, Madhapur, Gachibowli and Jubilee Hills.

Regular train operations in this stretch will start from 4 pm on the same day.

The nine stations on this 10 km stretch include Taruni-Madhura Nagar, Yousufguda, Jubilee Hills Road No 5, Jubilee Hills Check Post, Peddammagudi, Madhapur, Durgam Cheruvu and Hi-Tech City stations.

Taruni-Madhura Nagar station is being developed as a women managed station and in due course will have shops mostly catering to the needs of women & children.

The idea is to develop this station as well as the two-acre space available below as a women-centric station, where all the shopping needs of women & children will be met at one metro station, which is being attempted for the first time in the world informed senior officials.

Unlike other stations which are mainly two-level stations, Jubilee Hills Check Post station is a single-level station where concourse level is avoided so as to reduce the already high level of the station due to gradient related problems.

Construction of reverse facility beyond Hi-Tech City station in front of Cyber Towers and Trident hotel is being done in a staggered and sequential manner as the narrow passage is wedged between Cyber Towers on one side and flyover on the other side and it will take a couple of months for completion, stated L&TMRHL MD KVB Reddy.

Trains will initially run in a 5 km stretch between Jubilee Hills Check Post and Hi-Tech City station following a traditional Railway practice of "twin single line method".

In this method the two tracks are treated as two separate single lines and trains are operated in both "up and down" direction on each line separately, till the "reversal" beyond Hi-Tech City station is completed.

Accordingly, initially the frequency of trains between Ameerpet-Hi-Tech City will be 9 to 12 minutes, as against 6 minutes frequency in other parts of the presently operational Metro corridors.

However, efforts are being made to add additional trains in this section to improve the frequency and to cater to the huge rush that is expected.

In view of the 'twin single line method' of operation, initially 3 stations (Jubilee Hills Check Post, Peddammagudi and Madhapur) will not be opened for public at this stage and they will be opened after a few weeks, added NVS Reddy.

While passengers of Corridor-III i.e., Nagole to Hi-Tec City (27 km) can straight away go to Hi-Tec City area and vice-a-versa, passengers of Corridor-I i.e., Miyapur-LB Nagar (29 km) will have to change the train at Ameerpet Metro station.