L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd today put on display the first rail coach it received from the Hyundai-Rotem consortium.

It announced that the elevated rail system would be fully managed remotely. These trains will be driverless and run from a central control system. And the ‘driver’ in the metro train coach will only help facilitate entry and exit of passengers and ensure their safety.

This coach is part of the large order the metro project placed on the consortium for supply of rail coaches for the 72-km elevated metro rail project being developed by L&T.

The coach was formally unveiled here today by the State Chief Minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, in the presence of officials of L&T and metro rail officials.

Reddy described the Rs 14,300-crore project as the largest public-private partnership project in the country which has potential to transform Hyderabad into a megapolis.

Once completed, this will be a jewel in the crown of Hyderabad along with Outer Ring Road and other infrastructure being developed in the fourth largest and fifth populous city.

Each air-conditioned coach will have capacity to seat about 330 people and a train of six coaches is expected to carry about 2,000 passengers. While these trains have capability to manage a top speed of 80 km per hour, the average speed is likely to be 38-40 km per hour. Initially, 171 coaches for 57 trains will be supplied by Hyundai-Rotem and the rest in a phased manner, N.V.S.Reddy, Managing Director of Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd, said.

Initially, it is proposed to run each train with three coaches and later this will be ramped up to six coaches for one train. The gap between each train will be 90 seconds. All the trains will have CCTV cameras inside and outside the cars. There will be mobile and laptop charging sockets inside the cars. The supply of coaches will be in a phased manner as the project is ready for commissioning.

First phase will be operational by March –April 2015.

>rishikumar.vundi@thehindu.co.in

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