Hyderabad: Amid growing ridership, Hyderabad Metro system is grappling with platform congestion as daily ridership surges beyond 5.2 lakh passengers, raising safety concerns among L&T representatives and commuters alike. The space constraints at stations have become particularly challenging during service disruptions, as station managers said that platform access can also be restricted to prevent accidents.
Daily commuters are feeling the impact of crowding.
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“The trains are more crowded than ever, and there is barely any space to stand even on the platforms during peak hours,” Goutham Kumar, who regularly uses the Metro service, told TOI.
Unlike other major Metros in Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai, Hyderabad Metro stations lack platform screen doors (PSDs), which help manage crowd movement and prevent accidents. An L&T Metro representative, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explained, “Platform screen doors are not a part of Hyderabad Metro’s policy, and even if we wanted to install them now, we would fall short of space.”
Vasudev Chivukula, former chief financial officer at Larsen & Toubro Geostructure, Chennai, offered insights into potential solutions. “In Chennai and Bengaluru Metros, screen doors are installed at congested stations to add a layer of security,” he said. “In Hyderabad, they need to even out the crowd along the platforms instead of concentrating them all at once, providing people reasonable space for movement. The current situation can create panic, especially when service disruptions occur.”
Chivukula also expressed particular concern about woman commuters’ safety amid the overcrowding issues.
To address these challenges, the Metro authorities have implemented several measures. “We installed reinforced steel sheets at important stations to create more floor space for passengers,” the L&T representative stated, adding that the upcoming second phase of the Metro network would allow for further expansion and development of stations.
The Metro’s security wing also deployed additional personnel to manage the situation since the last three years. “We have 12 security personnel at each platform to discipline crowd and help passengers deboard first at their respective stations,” a quick response team member said.
“We are finding significant crowding issues particularly at two stations, Raidurg and Ameerpet, where there is continuous passenger movement,” Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) managing director NVS Reddy said. He acknowledged that L&T was implementing measures to create additional space at these critical points.
