HYDERABAD : If you have travelled in a Metro train in Hyderabad in the past few days, there is a good chance that you have experienced violent jerks with the train stopping suddenly, and then starting again. It happens mostly when the train has just left the station and nobody is expecting it to halt. The announcement made in the train asking commuters to step away from the emergency button immediately after the train halts confirms doubts that the stoppages are linked to the red button. However, the metro rail website says that the button can be used to talk to the train operator in case of an emergency onboard Metro trains.
Clearing the mystery, NVS Reddy, managing director of Hyderabad Metro Rail, said, “If the button is pressed within station limits when speed is less than 15kmph, it applies brake and stops train as there may be some emergency at door (leg stuck etc). After that, the button immediately connects to train operator with CCTV focussed on that button. In other cases, the button just connects to operator with CCTV focussed there. The operator then takes action as required.”
One of the commuters, Shalini Pandey, said: “Once when the train halted suddenly, my mobile phone flew out of my hand. Thankfully, it did not get damaged. However, this does pose danger to children and people carrying heavy luggage.”Metro trains in the city have been packed to the walls after the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) strike. Overcrowding is leading to people standing very close to the doors, and pressing the emergency button involuntarily.
NVS Reddy said: “Around 3.6 lakh passengers are riding Metro every day now, which is 70,000 more than pre-strike days.” When asked if the emergency buttons can be encased in any way, he said: “I have asked L&T to examine the feasibility.” The Delhi Metro had made films to educate commuters on how to use the emergency button. It is high time Hyderabad did it too.
