Hyderabad: Come November, the Hyderabad Metro Rail will complete seven years, but there is no good news for commuters who will continue to be packed into three-coach trains at peak hours. On warm days, the body odour, especially from commuters holding on to the overhead straps, would only get worse.
Passengers complain that heavy rush during the peak hours forces them to travel shoulder-to-shoulder in suffocating coaches. Many of them are contemplating to discontinue use of the Metro Rail and opting for private transport.
Indeed, the ridership had risen to a high of 5.1 lakh in July 2023 has fallen by more than one lakh.
Though passengers demand an increase in the number of coaches to six, at least during the peak hours, HMRL authorities have no such plans as of now.
The woes of women passengers is worse. The ladies compartment are always full and they will be forced to enter the general compartments where they get jammed between other passengers.
Ramya Chennoju, a corporate employee from Bhongir, takes a metro from Uppal to Raidurg throughout the week. “I take the metro at around 6.30 am. In the mornings, the crowd is manageable but while returning in the evening, it’s highly congested. Women suffer the most.”
Chris Viresh, a professional basketball player, explained his hardships, “It's literally pushing each other — either entering into the train or to alight. For the two years, this has been the case. If people, who are strong like me, are having a tough time, imagine the ordeal that frail elders have to undergo.”
Advocating the need for more coaches to be added to the trains, Viresh said: “We opt for the metro to avoid the city traffic. However, the metro is failing in its purpose of providing a comfortable option.”
Daram Praveen Kumar, corporate banking employee, said: “I started using the metro from 2018, as I reside at LB Nagar. Initially, the journey used to be comfortable. But now, it’s rough. One of my colleagues who used to commute with me has discontinued, started using his own vehicle.”
“During the evening hours at Raidurg station, the platform is overcrowded. If I miss the train, the next one will be after at least 10 minutes. Apart from that the parking charges have been increased and toilets are also in the pay and use mode,” Praveen Kumar said.
Another commuter who has moved away from the Metro Raol is Amitha, a corporate finance professional. “Even a pregnant woman won’t get a seat,” she said.
The Green Line corridor of the metro rail is comparatively less crowded than the other two lines. However, the frequency of trains on the Green Line is 10 to 15 minutes, said Sandeep Midhilesh, who works at a pharmaceutical company, and commutes from Chikadpally to Raidurg each day. “It is high time for the metro trains have more coaches in the Red and Blue lines, which are heavily crowded.”
When contacted, Hyderabad Metro Rail managing director N.V.S. Reddy, said, “As of now, there are proposals to bring in six-coach trains. However, we are planning to bring in four metro trains from Nagpur as and when they are available.”
METRO IN OTHER CITIES
Delhi Metro Rail: Trains with four, six and eight coaches
Kolkata Metro: Trains with six and eight coaches.
Bengaluru Metro: Six-coach trains
Chennai Metro: Four coaches, to be upgraded to six.
