The much-awaited Hyderabad Metro Rail line between Ameerpet to LB Nagar is all set to open to the public on Monday, 24 September, after Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan flags off the route at 12 pm.
Narasimhan will be accompanied by caretaker Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister K T Rama Rao, along with other officials of the state government and the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL). With this, the entire Corridor 1 of the Hyderabad metro will be operational.
Speaking about the inauguration, KVB Reddy, MD and CEO of L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited, in a video message, said:
For Hyderabadis, it is again a special occasion, because it is a jewel in the crown for the city’s urban transport system. This is the most eco-friendly and pollution free way to travel. It also has high safety standards and will transport people from LB Nagar to Miyapur and ultimately from Hitec city to Nagole and JBS to MGBS and thereafter.
The metro train will go past important landmarks like the Moazzam Jahi Market and the Telangana Legislative Assembly building, besides the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS).
According to reports, the MGBS metro station, which will be a connecting station for two corridors of the metro rail, will be one of the largest stations in Asia.
HMR MD NVS Reddy was quoted as saying:
Two big skywalks connect all the platforms of MGBS bus station on one side and the second skywalk connects Chaderghat area. Chaderghat skywalk is 600-foot long and 20-foot wide. The skywalks are very wide, keeping in mind the increase in traffic over the next few decades.
The 30 km-long section of Corridor 1 from Nagole to Miyapur, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 November, 2017.
With 24 stations, it connects a large part of the city — from the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium at Uppal to Osmania University and the Secunderabad Railway Station, to other areas like Ameerpet and Kukatpally.
Meanwhile, work between Ameerpet and Hitec city will be done completed by this year, while the stretch from Jubilee Bus Station to the MGBS on corridor 2 is expected to open by April 2019.
(This article has been published in an arrangement with The News Minute)
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