Within days of his visit to Hyderabad, Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has facilitated quick solutions to some of the long pending issues between the Railways here, local administration and Hyderabad metro rail project.
Suresh Prabhu was in Hyderabad on January 19 and met with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao wherein some of the issues between South Central Railway and the metro rail and suburban projects and their concerns were discussed.
These include traffic blockade charges during construction work and development of metro and suburban projects. The Minister within days has managed to resolve the issues, according to Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited.
The Railway Board has clarified to SC Railway that Railways shall encourage development of Metro and Suburban rail projects by not levying ‘Traffic Block’ charges towards detention of wagons and passenger trains. The Board advised that Hyderabad Metro shall be exempted from such ‘Traffic Block’ charges.
This decision of Railway Board will hasten construction of 8 Metro Rail Over Bridges (ROBs) at different locations in twin cities and facilitates speeding up of the project.
According to Hyderabad Metro this decision will save metro and Telangana Government about Rs 80 crore _ Rs 10-crore per crossing.
The Chief Minister thanked the Railway Minister for immediately resolving the issue. The metro corridors cross the tracks of Indian Railways at 8 locations, Managing Director of Hyderabad Metro NVS Reddy, said.