Hyderabad Metro Rail

While there were many complex challenges involved in this project, one that stood out in significance was the placement of substructure along the metro alignment, which passed through high density roads flanked by surrounding establishment. The project team worked closely with stakeholders to understand their requirements and incorporated various innovative options in the design of structures while adhering to overall project objective and schedule.

Compounding the level of difficulty, out-of-date utility maps for the location of proposed structures resulted in progressive revisions to the design during the execution stage. Site validation, placement of substructures and laying the foundations were critical tasks demanding precision and speed.

To achieve the rail alignment with these constraints, the team explored various foundation designs by introducing cantilever piers, portal piers, eccentric foundations and hammer head piers suitable for the site conditions.

Dubbed ‘My City, My Metro, My Pride’, HMR’s slogan reflects its focus on delivering a people-centric development that improves the commuting experience for its citizens by providing a safer, efficient and integrated mode of public transportation.

Accessibility and first-mile/last-mile connectivity was key to providing an integrated transport network and end-to-end access to multiple modes of transportation, including skywalks, bicycle lanes and pedestrian infrastructure.

HMR connects to existing rail terminals, suburban stations and bus depots, providing links into commercial and office zones, schools, hospitals, leisure and retail destinations. Commuters can enjoy the ease of travel into highly congested areas of Hitec City, Gachibowli, Jubilee Hills and other populous areas with the comfort of air-conditioned metro coaches. The coaches themselves cater to the requirements of all commuters, including differently-abled and elderly passengers.

Eco-friendly and fully automated, HMR deploys state-of-the-art rolling stock to reduce its carbon footprints. Regenerative Braking Technology (RBT) and Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) technology to enhance safety and increase the frequency of trains.

Combined with clever landscaping—which includes the planting of thousands of trees around the rail depots to improve the cityscape—the new mode of transport is expected to eliminate tens of thousand tons of CO2 from the environment. The innovative rolling stock regenerates energy during electro dynamic braking and will help reduce Hyderabad’s carbon emissions.

Operated by Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited, HMR is the world’s largest Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) metro project ever conceived. Value Engineering (VE) was an essential part of a Design-Build contract and we supported the stakeholders in achieving this objective successfully.

The team conducted rigorous studies of superstructure and sub-structure designs, conceptualized design options and carried out numerous workshops with stakeholders to identify cost-savings opportunities that resulted in optimal design outcomes. Our work translated to numerous benefits to the project including design enhancements, time savings and reduced financial risks that led to significant cost savings of at least 20 percent compared to the original concept design.