A tidal wave of innovation in Hyderabad, India

Context: Continuously improving the service and operation of three automated metro lines in Hyderabad, India

Home to more than 10 million people, Hyderabad is the thriving capital of southern India’s Telangana state. To reduce traffic in this densely populated metropolis where over 800 new vehicles are put on the road every day, Hyderabad opened an automated metro network in 2017. The operations and maintenance contract was awarded to Keolis by the concessionaire, L&T Metro Rail. The contract encompasses 57 metro stations across three lines, as well as depots, track, signaling, telecommunications, ticketing systems and ticket sales.

To keep the longest overhead metro line in the world running smoothly, Keolis has rolled out a number of innovations in Hyderabad, India. By working to ease crowding, manage water resources, improve safety and more, the group is helping improve residents’ quality of life by offering a reliable, eco-friendly alternative to car travel.

Innovation: A range of complementary innovations for the Hyderabad Metro  

In their pursuit of continuous improvement in Hyderabad, teams at Keolis have implemented an array of innovations across six major themes:

Operations 

Optimized Metro Timetables: Based on Peak Hour Peak Destination Travel (PHPDT), a dedicated application generates optimal timetables for all three metro lines to reduce per-train load during peak hours. This decreases crowding and improves the passenger experience.

Attendance  

Expanding Passenger Waiting Areas: To create more space for passengers along the high ridership corridor of Hyderabad Metro Rail, teams worked to create 18.75 m2 of additional waiting areas, improved for faster passenger movement with any obstructions moved to the end of the platform.

Recycling 

Recycling Wastewater: Wastewater generated at Hyderabad metro rail depots is treated at two plants and reused for internal water needs, thereby reducing fresh water demand in a country where water is a precious resource.  

Data Visualization  

Real-time Data Management: Using data visualization, comparison, measurement and action, teams are able to identify fleet improvement points to improve the reliability of trains.  

Facilities Maintenance  

Improving the Safety of Overhead Equipment: Teams installed heat-shrinkable sleeves on overhead equipment to protect birds from the risk of electrocution and minimize instances of tripped circuit breakers.   

Redesigning Viaduct Lighting: A new equipment management system was installed to boost the reliability, availability and serviceability of viaduct lighting, thus reducing maintenance and replacement costs.  

Installing Lighting Timers: Designed to avoid blackouts, teams developed a new lighting management system based on timers to ensure that there is light in the most critical passenger areas, even in the case of a power failure.

Maintenance 

Test Benches for Rolling Stock: Intended to be used for quality assurance, functional testing and more, the test benches provide a standardized and efficient method for testing and validating various components and systems.

Power Supply Improvements: A new electrical system was installed to improve the reliability and flexibility of the power distribution network during breakdowns and maintenance.  

Benefits: Improving the passenger experience, safety and environmental impact of the Hyderabad metro 

By developing and implementing these innovations, Keolis teams are continuously improving the performance and operation of the automated metro network in Hyderabad, India. These benefits range from enhancing the passenger experience by optimizing timetables to strengthening train reliability with data-driven maintenance and upgraded testing and electrical equipment.

In addition, the innovations also improve the network’s environmental performance. For example, in 2022, the wastewater treatment project recycled an average of 1.5 million liters of water per month, for a total of nearly 17 million liters of recycled water. These savings not only benefit the company by reducing the associated costs, but they also help improve water management for the community at large. Together with the heat sleeves designed to protect birds from electrocution, these innovations contribute to Keolis’s mission of acting as an environmentally responsible operator.

Next steps: Identifying new areas of improvement for the Hyderabad network and beyond 

Building on these successful projects, Keolis intends to maintain its fast pace of innovation to continue improving the automated rail network in Hyderabad, India. In addition, many of the innovations developed in Hyderabad can also be replicated on other networks operated by Keolis, whether in India or around the world. Stay tuned for upcoming innovations from Keolis!