Hyderabad Mass Rapid Transit System

The Hyderabad Mass Rapid Transit System(MRTS) also known as the Hyderabad Metro (Telugu: హైదరాబాద్ మెట్రో) is one of the several planned Mass Rapid Transit System projects in India. This project will serve the city of Hyderabad. The Project was approved by the Union Government on April 15, 2008. The project will be the largest MRTS project under Public-Private partnership. The total length is 66 km,extended to 71 km. The bidding process will be complete by July 2008 and work on the metro will start from August 2008.

Implementing agency

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has formed a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) "Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited" (HMRL) to coordinate and monitor the speedy implementation of the project.

Location of the Project

As it is well known, a good traffic and transportation infrastructure is one of the pre-requisites for the survival, competitiveness, and livability of a city. Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. With a population of about 7 million and considerable floating population, the city is grappling with increasing traffic congestion due to fast growing IT, ITES, pharma, and various other manufacturing and business activities.

Current Transit systems

Lack of an efficient, reliable and comfortable Public Transportation System (PTS) has resulted in the rapid growth of personal vehicles (1.8 million vehicles, with an addition of 0.2 million per annum), leading to frequent traffic jams and higher pollution levels in the city. Out of the 7.0 million motorized trips that are made in the city every day, only 40% (2.8 million trips) are by PTS (mostly by buses run by APSRTC, a Govt of AP owned company) and there is a need to take this share to 70% mainly by creation of Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS).The Current local train system known as the Multi Modal Transport System(MMTS) operational since 2003 runs on existing tracks meant for long distance trains supplemented by aging Diesel Multiple Units(DMU) locally known as push-pull trains operational since the 80's. This is seen as inadequate since the bulk of the city's population as well as major economic centers lie away from the long distance tracks. Only recently the usage of these trains has increased due to increase of population in the suburbs.

Proposal

Concerned about the fast deteriorating traffic position and increasing pollution levels, Government of Andhra Pradesh recently constituted a Seven Member Committee of Senior Officers belonging to different departments to evolve a Comprehensive Transportation Strategy and submit a road map for strengthening the Public Transportation System and other measures to solve the traffic problems of Hyderabad metropolitan area. Further, in the light of some international consortia/companies along with their Indian partners coming forward to take up MRTS projects in the city on BOT basis on a commercial format, the Committee was also directed to examine the proposals and come up with specific recommendations.The Committee accordingly examined the proposals/presentations (which are basically at a preliminary level), perused the various traffic studies available for Hyderabad and observed that the busy traffic corridors (especially in the core area) of about 150 km have become prone to frequent traffic jams and that there is a need to develop MRTS on these routes in a phased manner. The Committee recommended immediate development of MRTS on BOT basis on the following 3 corridors in phase-I:

#"Miyapur – L B NAGAR - 27 km. (Approximate)"
#"Secunderabad – Falaknuma - 17 km. (Approximate)"
#"Tarnaka – Panjagutta – Hitec City - 26 km. (Approximate)"
:" Total Length - 71 km (Approximate)"

Line 1 Miyapur – L B NAGAR

Route Length
*Between dead ends 29.87 kilometers

*Between End stations centers 29.17 kilometers
Number of Stations (All elevated) 27
Link to other Corridors

*At Ameerpet connecting corridors 1 and 3

*At Medical College connecting corridors 1 and 2

Line 2 JBS/SECUNDERABAD – FALAKNUMA

Route Length
*Between dead ends 14.78 kilometers

*Between End stations centers 14.08 kilometers
Number of Stations (All elevated) 16
Link to other Corridors

*At Parade Grounds – Connecting Corridors 2 and 3

*At Medical College – Connecting Corridors 1 and 2

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has accepted the recommendations of the committee and MRTS on these routes has since been made an integral part of the Traffic & Transportation Master Plan for Hyderabad metropolitan area, which envisages, inter alia, creation of link/parallel roads, MMTS, construction of flyovers, bridges over Musi river, ROBs/RUBs, FOBs, Junction improvements, development of parking facilities etc. Detailed Project Report is available (conducted by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) for the first 2 corridors mentioned above, viz., 1). Miyapur – Chaitanyapuri; and 2). Secunderabad – Falaknuma. Since no DPR has been prepared for the third corridor, Tarnaka – Panjagutta – Hitec City (which has now become a very important and congested traffic corridor due to development of IT/ ITES sector), DPR has since been undertaken by DMRC, which will be completed in about two months. The State Government is in the process of identifying some government lands along these corridors for location of the station buildings, terminals, depots etc., and for real estate development thereon to improve the viability of the BOT projects. Since these are long gestation projects, it is expected that viability gap funding would become necessary to make them attractive, implementable and sustainable. Updation/validation of the traffic projections made in the DPR prepared by DMRC needs to be done to assess the revenue streams and the viability gap funding requirements more realistically.

Technical Supervision

The Government of Andhra Pradesh will appoint professional consultants with technical expertise in order to oversee the design and construction of the project.

The objective of appointing the Owner’s Consultant is to develop a comprehensive BOT based Infrastructure Project and its attendant technical, legal, commercial and financial guidance documents, to assist GoAP in the selection of concessionaire(s) by adopting appropriate mechanisms for the project. GoAP also expects the assistance in negotiation, finalisation and execution of the Concession Agreement and Concession Implementation till the Financial Closure of the project. To accomplish the assignment, the selected consultant firm shall have requisite technical, financial and legal competency, competent personnel, working capital, modern equipment etc., Such firm shall set up its office at Hyderabad. A senior level person who is designated as Team Leader of the team proposed and also other important personnel involved in the assignment as per the requirement to be decided in consultation with the Project Director shall be stationed in this office at Hyderabad.

Conformity to standards

The Selected Consultant Firm for accomplishing the assignment shall conform to the local laws & rules and standards concerning the following:
*The Design and layout of the track structure and stations ; traction, power supply, air-conditioning and ventilation systems, rolling stock signalling system, automatic fare collection mechanism, security etc., for the elevated MRTS and other relevant issues.
*Other restrictions and standards concerning Elevated MRTS operations.
*Energy efficient systems for the stations and other buildings, rolling stock, electric traction, air-conditioning and ventilation and other operations.

Problems

*The presence of Foot Over Bridges along the proposed elevated routes has led to questions regarding the efficient use of Government Funds. These bridges have only been recently constructed at a cost of Rs 1 Crore each (approximately $240000). They were constructed without consulting the Metro Rail Authority and are now being pulled down in order to make way for the elevated tracks. [http://www.google.com/search?q=removal+of+foot+over+bridges+in+hyderabad&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS236US236]
*The extended delay to the project has worsened the traffic situation.
*The expected minimum ticket cost at Rs 8 may cause problems with its future ridership although this is still under review.

ee also

* [http://hyderabadmetrorail.in Official Hyderabad Metro Rail Website ]
* [http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=459134 Hyderabad Metro Updates]
* [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Work_on_Hyderabad_metro_to_begin_from_August/articleshow/2947776.cms Work on Hyderabad metro to begin from August 2008]

References

http://www.google.com/search?q=removal+of+foot+over+bridges+in+hyderabad&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS236US236