Hyderabad: Metro train safar-yaatri suffer

Hyderabad: With hardly any place to stand, and overcrowded trains suffocating commuters, Metro travel is turning out to be a nightmarish experience for the people especially during peak hours. Despite being aware of the packed conditions, Hyderabad Metro Rail officials does not seem to be sensing the need to operate more trains or augment the train with additional coaches or increase the frequency of the trains.

Metro users pointed out that the most safety mode of transportation is giving us a nightmare due to overcrowding. As the train stops only for 20 seconds passengers are pushed aside by other passengers to either get inside the train or step out of the train. The crowd in the metro trains is no less than that of Mumbai local trains.

"For the past several months, metro trains have been seen fully overcrowded leaving no place for the passengers to stand. I board the train (Nagole- Raidurg stretch) from Secunderabad at 8 am, and during that time there is hardly any place for me to stand.Even if I plan to board the next train, even that is overcrowded," said Anushka Sarkar, degree student and regular metro rail traveler.

"Overcrowding in metro is getting terrible day by day. Hence to control this and to improve the last mile connectivity, the frequency of trains should be increased and few additional coaches should also be augmented. We have twitted about this issue many times, but no steps have been taken to ensure safety," said Rohan, another metro rail traveler.

"It is not a comfortable journey anymore.There is no place to breathe in the trains. Traveling in metro trains during peak hours is giving us mental trauma these days. Congestion in metro trains will reduce if Hyderabad metro rail increase coaches. If the State government is not taking any decision in improving rail journeys,it is clear that they only want to utilise the profits and not provide better service," said Robin, another metro rail traveler and social activist.