Hyderabad, August 17: Hyderabad Metro Rail is set to add 60 new coaches to meet rising passenger demand across its network.
The Telangana government has directed Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited to speed up the procurement process. The move aims to expand capacity under the Make in India initiative.
The first phase of Hyderabad Metro opened in November 2017. The network currently covers 69.2 km across three corridors.
Around 4.6 lakh passengers use the Metro every day. The network operates about 1,200 trips daily, with ridership continuing to grow.
At present, 57 trains operate with three coaches each. The plan is to add one coach to every train.
Each new coach is estimated to cost around Rs 20 crore. Therefore, the total procurement cost could be around Rs 1,200 crore.
BEML Likely to Manufacture New Coaches
Officials have reportedly been directed to place the order with Bharat Earth Movers Limited, or BEML.
BEML has experience supplying Metro coaches to Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is also likely to assist Telangana as a consultant.
Hyundai Rotem, which supplied the existing Hyderabad Metro coaches, is reportedly willing to share technology with BEML.
The new coaches are expected to follow the existing specifications. This would allow them to operate with the current Communication Based Train Control system.
HMRL officials are discussing the technical requirements with BEML. However, the procurement timeline has faced delays linked to the transfer of the first phase from L&T Metro to the state government.
Officials are targeting delivery within eight to 10 months. Earlier estimates suggested the process could take longer due to the ongoing valuation and handover process.
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