With the launch of the first phase of the Metro Rail, It is a proud moment for the historic city as the most modern Metro complements its image as the favoured international technology hub. The iconic project has disproved the naysayers and skeptics who had spread canards and raised doubts over its feasibility post-bifurcation. In fact, the opponents of the Telangana statehood movement had created a wrong impression that Metro would become a liability in the event of division of Andhra Pradesh and that it would be financially unviable due to inadequate traffic demand. Those who had spread such a motivated campaign at the height of the Telangana movement will now have to eat their words. The success is there for everyone to see and marvel. Undoubtedly, Hyderabad Metro, the world’s biggest project under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, is the best in the country in terms of adoption of new technologies, related infrastructure and passenger amenities. It is set to completely transform the landscape of the City of Minars and Pearls. Among the several records that it has set, Hyderabad Metro has created a new inaugural record for the longest stretch on Day One in the country. Apart from serving as a safe and comfortable public transport option and reducing travel time, the Metro will spur development in the city by creating new zones of economic activity. The innovative design of the project has already redefined the concept of urban transportation because unlike other Metros which consumed more space for stations, the Metro stations are elevated and do not eat into the road space.
What makes Hyderabad Metro unique is its innovative design. All the stations are completely open and are cantilevered, thereby utilising the least possible stretch of land. Another key feature is the integration with other modes of transport like buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws to ensure end-to-end connectivity. Providing such an integrated connectivity on a 30-km stretch constituting the first phase and opening a large interchange station on the inaugural day itself is unique, something never done in any other Indian city. Another innovation is the Viability Gap Funding (VGP) and the concept of Transit Oriented Development (TOD). The concessionaire agreement with L&T, the developer, provides for 18.5 mn sq feet of real estate space across the 269 acres allotted for three depots and 66 stations. Once the entire 72-km stretch spread over three high-density traffic corridors is completed by next year, about 17 lakh passengers will be able to travel by the Metro across the city everyday. The passenger carrying capacity will be nearly 17% of the city’s population, which is remarkable for any public transport project.
