The Ameerpet – Hitec City / Cyber Towers line has finally been given the go-ahead by the Commissioner for Metro Railway Safety (CMRS). The approval is said to be conditional at present. An unconfirmed source hinted at formal inauguration before the 10th March.
The move comes barely a week after RailPost’s report that the Hyderabad Metro rail section from Ameerpet to Hitec City / Cyber Towers did not receive the full operational clearance from the CMRS.
According to sources within HMRL, trains might be run at a lower frequency than other operational sections for now. This might mean that passengers would still have to changeover at Ameerpet rather than getting a direct connection from the Nagole line.
Trials are currently ongoing to test a short loop service in off-peak times. Another option is also under consideration. HMRL may run a few direct trains to Hitec City and a few that terminate at Ameerpet. Trials for this too will be conducted over the next couple of days during
Testing on CBTC or Communication Based Train Control systems is also underway on the new section for seamless operations. This system is a continuously monitored automatic positional system that is independently monitored by special software, and helps manage trains based on their exact location in the section.
This makes it possible to run trains at the maximum possible frequency on a single block without compromising on safety. CBTC has already been activated on the Ameerpet – Nagole section. HMRL aims to run the trains on the new section at a frequency of not more than 10 minutes.
More details would become clear when HMRL publicly announces their final decisions.
Image courtesy: Wikimedia, ToI, HMRL, Researchgate.