Hyderabad Metro commuters seek additional coaches as State takeover delays expansion plans

Demand for additional coaches on Hyderabad Metro trains is growing as overcrowding worsens. Civil society groups have urged the State government to expedite the Metro takeover and procure new coaches to ease congestion for nearly 4.5 lakh daily commuters.

Hyderabad: Amid delays in the State government’s proposed takeover of the Hyderabad Metro, the demand for additional coaches on Metro trains is gathering momentum, with passengers and civil society organisations urging the government to act immediately.

At present, all 56 Metro trains operate across the three corridors run with three coaches each. However, the existing configuration is increasingly proving inadequate to handle the growing ridership.

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Recognising the rising demand, HMRL is said to have conducted a comprehensive study covering passenger loads during peak and non-peak hours, station-wise footfalls, route-specific congestion points and other operational parameters.

Based on the findings, HMRL announced in November 2025 that it was planning to introduce four-coach and six-coach trains on high-density routes to ease peak-hour congestion and improve passenger comfort.

The agency had clarified that, instead of merely adding coaches to existing train sets, it would deploy additional trains with different coach configurations based on demand.

“We will determine suitable train configurations using the new coaches. We are considering four to six-coach trains, or a mix of three, four and six-coach configurations depending on route requirements,” HMRL Managing Director Sarfraz Ahmed had said.

However, these plans are expected to materialise only after the State government completes the takeover of Hyderabad Metro from L&T Metro. Even after placing orders for new coaches, it is likely to take at least two years for their delivery and commissioning.

Meanwhile, civil society organisations have stepped up pressure on the government, highlighting the hardships faced by Metro commuters due to overcrowding.
With nearly 4.5 lakh passengers using the Metro every day, the service has become the preferred mode of transport for office-goers, IT professionals, students and others. However, the current rake capacity is insufficient to cater to the growing passenger rush, said Donthi Narasimha Reddy of Citizens for Better Public Transport.
Urban Development Forum, Hyderabad Citizens Forum and several other organisations have also written to the Chief Secretary, urging the State government to immediately initiate the process of procuring additional coaches. They argued that expanding train capacity would significantly reduce congestion during peak hours on high-density corridors.

However, with the HMRL takeover from L&T Metro yet to be completed, the induction of additional coaches is expected to be delayed further, leaving passengers to continue coping with overcrowded trains for the foreseeable future.