Hyderabad Metro will operate for an extra hour from 10 Oct

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metro Rail on Friday announced that the train timings have been extended based on the demand of commuters and the public, especially IT and other service sector employees. The new timings will come into effect on Monday.

The last train will now leave at 11 p.m from the respective terminal stations. The trains will start at 6 a.m, as usual.

"Based on feedback from commuters & public demand, especially due to requests from IT & other service sector companies, we are extending the timings," N V S Reddy, Managing Director HMRL.

"Passengers are requested to cooperate with security personnel and staff of Hyderabad Metro Rail in their efforts towards keeping the metro journey safe," K.V.B Reddy, the MD and CEO of L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd. (HMRL), said.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hyderabad Metro ran from 6 a.m to 11 p.m. "In the midst of the pandemic, the timings had to be shortened. We've gone back to the earlier timings," sources said.

"Metro stations are sometimes closed by 9.45 a.m. I live in Begumpet and commute to Hi-Tech City every day. For me, the metro is the most convenient and cost-effective mode of transportation. It is not only difficult to find a car after 9.45 p.m, but it also feels unsafe. I'm glad the timings have been extended. Many IT employees will benefit from this," said G. Anuradha, a software engineer and regular metro commuter.

According to an official source, the demand for Hyderabad Metro services has increased significantly in recent months due to the reopening of many commercial and IT establishments across the city.

The Hyderabad metro currently has a daily footfall of nearly 4 lakh people. Footfall has been observed to be high during the weekdays. The weekend footfall is reportedly between 3.7 lakhs and 3.8 lakhs.

Before Covid-19, the average footfall of the Hyderabad metro was reportedly between 3.6 lakhs and 3.8 lakhs.