Shocker: It's not Hyd Metro Rail, but a Tramway

In a shocking development, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) MD NVS Reddy said to the High Court that though the project is named as metro rail, actually it's a tramway. Mr Reddy made these comments appealing to the court to lift the stay issued last month, after few businessmans in Ameerpet has lodged a complaint citing irregularities in the alignment of this prestigious project.

Tramway is a street railway or interurban railway for local traffic. In reality, a Tramway is no match to a Metro Rail. While metro rail runs at a maximum speed of 120 km per hour and an average speed of 80 kmph, the tramway's maximum speed is just 40 km per hour and average speed is 25 km per hour. A metro rail can carry 50,000 passengers per hour per direction (PPD), while for tramway it is just 4,000 passengers per hour.

Now the question is why the government is spending Rs 14,000 crore on a Tramway, which is normally used for short-distance public transportation at a minimal speed. Is the HMRL MD trying to fool the judiciary system by saying that the project is not Metro Rail, but a Tramway only for lifting the stay?