Design of the metro rail stations have been finalised and in all, the city will have 66 stations at 63 locations, said a press release issued by Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited(HMRL) on Sunday.
In a first of its kind, all the stations except at Ameerpet, Parade Grounds, and MGBS, will have a cantilever design, that is the station resting only on pillars in the middle with no side pillars. With the entire station resting on only about 10 heavily reinforced central pillarswithout any pillars on the sides, the road below will look open, spacious and airy, claimed HMRL.
A two-level - 'concourse level' and 'platform level'- stations will be built with entry and exit facilities for passengers with staircases, escalators and lifts at the road level. Commuters with smart cards or after buying tickets at the counters will enter the 'paid area' through an 'Automatic Fare Collection' ( AFC) gates. After entering the 'paid area', passengers can go to the next level, which is the platform level again through lifts, escalators and staircases to board the train.
Foolproof security features will be incorporated in the station design with the approval of various security wings of the Union home ministry.
The main security features include access controlled passenger entry with baggage checking arrangements, CCTV cameras and other surveillance equipment, resembling the tight security at airports. The stations will also be provided with fire protection and fire detection systems. The fire prevention system will be of international standards.
