Opinion: Which is the most modern city of South Asia?

[N.Siddiqui]

My pick would be hyderabad - Metropolitian with great weather, good public transport, good job oppurtunities and good educational Institutions. Lol we have both IIT and ISB. Night life is just picking up and probably the only metropolitan where a middle class person can dream of buying a house rather an forcing himself to live in a oversized cubicles called apartments. But then property rates are sku ricketing of late.

Have seen many blogs/vids of Hyderabad India, seems to have come of age with the IT revolution, rank just after Bangalore.

The Hitech city and other enclaves, all looks good and ahead of the curve. Also Hyderabad has good water reservoirs like Usman Sagar, think called Gandipet and other reservoirs as well, Bangalore is not that lucky here with many natural water channels destroyed by the real estate developers and no garbage disposal system.

I have got one uncle living in Hyderabad, in Hyder enclave near sun city...keeps on shuttling between US and Hyderabad. He was also saying it has low crime rate and well spread out.

At the same time many gated communities tend to make the town planning a nightmare and the reason roads are not in good condition, the circular road is good I think.

 

[Advaitagrata]

Have seen many blogs/vids of Hyderabad India, seems to have come of age with the IT revolution, rank just after Bangalore.

The Hitech city and other enclaves, all looks good and ahead of the curve. Also Hyderabad has good water reservoirs like Usman Sagar, think called Gandipet and other reservoirs as well, Bangalore is not that lucky here with many natural water channels destroyed by the real estate developers and no garbage disposal system.

I have got one uncle living in Hyderabad, in Hyder enclave near sun city...keeps on shuttling between US and Hyderabad. He was also saying it has low crime rate and well spread out.

At the same time many gated communities tend to make the town planning a nightmare and the reason roads are not in good condition, the circular road is good I think.

Ride the Hyderabad Metro,

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Ride the Hyderabad Metro,

Looks good, seen the excerpts. India is going through a Metro train revolution, it seems.

What is the total length of the corridor and the planned length.

 

[Advaitagrata]

Looks good, seen the excerpts. India is going through a Metro train revolution, it seems.

What is the total length of the corridor and the planned length.

Almost all major cities now have Metro trains.

Total of Line 1,2 and 3 will cover a little less than 70 km.

Lucknow Metro,

 

[Loft38]

Looks good, seen the excerpts. India is going through a Metro train revolution, it seems.

What is the total length of the corridor and the planned length.

30 Km operational, close to 40 KM under construction
Another 97 KM is planned
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyderabad_Metro

 

[N.Siddiqui]

The Lahore Metro train, the first Metro in Pakistan is going through a trial run, on the 27 Km corridor, it has no overhead electric wires, using a third rail system for electricity...don't know it is any better.

Yes since India has a better rail infra...it is trickling down to the Metro as well....has got the economy of scale, local rolling stock as well. The Lahore Metro civil infra is all done by the local engineering companies, the trains are imported by none other than China's Norinco group.


LAHORE: Orange Line Metro trains will run on 750 volt electrical current that will be supplied to them through a central iron/steel line, called third rail.

The third rail will run parallel on both tracks.

The electric supply system to the trains is practiced internationally, particularly in China that is entrusted with the task to introduce it in Lahore.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1233719

 

[Loft38]

Have seen many blogs/vids of Hyderabad India, seems to have come of age with the IT revolution, rank just after Bangalore.

The Hitech city and other enclaves, all looks good and ahead of the curve. Also Hyderabad has good water reservoirs like Usman Sagar, think called Gandipet and other reservoirs as well, Bangalore is not that lucky here with many natural water channels destroyed by the real estate developers and no garbage disposal system.

I have got one uncle living in Hyderabad, in Hyder enclave near sun city...keeps on shuttling between US and Hyderabad. He was also saying it has low crime rate and well spread out.

At the same time many gated communities tend to make the town planning a nightmare and the reason roads are not in good condition, the circular road is good I think.

I am impressed by your knowledge about Indian cities. Even I am not aware of many of these things you mentioned.

The Lahore Metro train, the first Metro in Pakistan is going through a trial run, on the 27 Km corridor, it has no overhead electric wires, using a third rail system for electricity...don't know it is any better.

Yes since India has a better rail infra...it is trickling down to the Metro as well....has got the economy of scale, local rolling stock as well. The Lahore Metro civil infra is all done by the local engineering companies, the trains are imported by none other than China's Norinco group.


LAHORE: Orange Line Metro trains will run on 750 volt electrical current that will be supplied to them through a central iron/steel line, called third rail.

The third rail will run parallel on both tracks.

The electric supply system to the trains is practiced internationally, particularly in China that is entrusted with the task to introduce it in Lahore.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1233719

Looks good. Lahore and Karachi definitely deserve extensive network of metro trains or equivalent transport system.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Islamabad for being 'closer to nature' and with all the perks of a modern city including a good public transport, hospitals and institutions, unlike many cities with gardens...Islamabad gives feel of city within a garden.

The only thing missing is a night life...and that is one reason it is very calm and peaceful.

The night life is banging if you know the right people.

Yes to quite an extent...if you look at the big government office complexes there...other than that there are burgeoning private sector enterprises as well, housed in new offices and one reason you tend to witness traffic jams in Islamabad as well...this was unheard of few years ago.


Also since property prices including rents are very high in Islamabad, many middle class/working class people live in Rawalpindi a sister city and travel to Isb(about 20-25 kms) and work there and leave in the evenings.

Causing a jam on the expressway.. hope it’s okay now after the signal free corridor.

I myself wish to settle in Islamabad in an year or so... if I see any professional and business growth there.

My pick would be hyderabad - Metropolitian with great weather, good public transport, good job oppurtunities and good educational Institutions. Lol we have both IIT and ISB. Night life is just picking up and probably the only metropolitan where a middle class person can dream of buying a house rather an forcing himself to live in a oversized cubicles called apartments. But then property rates are sku ricketing of late.

Same is the case with Karachi and now even Lahore ..

 

[N.Siddiqui]

I am impressed by your knowledge about Indian cities. Even I am not aware of many of these things you mentioned.

Thanks, something to do with my interest in architecture, town planning and product designing...and overall interest in reading. Also people in Pakistan are curious about Indian people, there lifestyles and cities, being part of the whole sub continent once.

And I've observed generally people here in Pakistan tend to know more about India than vice versa...Indians have less knowledge about Pakistan in general...something to do with media and Bollywood here. But that is changing thanks to internet...this PDF forum is a case in point, also I can read Indian media through web, not possible earlier, goes both ways.

 

[Chhatrapati]

The Lahore Metro train, the first Metro in Pakistan is going through a trial run, on the 27 Km corridor, it has no overhead electric wires, using a third rail system for electricity...don't know it is any better.

Yes since India has a better rail infra...it is trickling down to the Metro as well....has got the economy of scale, local rolling stock as well. The Lahore Metro civil infra is all done by the local engineering companies, the trains are imported by none other than China's Norinco group.


LAHORE: Orange Line Metro trains will run on 750 volt electrical current that will be supplied to them through a central iron/steel line, called third rail.

The third rail will run parallel on both tracks.

The electric supply system to the trains is practiced internationally, particularly in China that is entrusted with the task to introduce it in Lahore.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1233719

Is there a JV? You can build them on your own after few years if much is learned from this construction.

And overhead or third rail has not much difference. They have their own advantages and disadvantages, while OH uses AC the Third rail uses HVDC. Mostly the OH lines tend to require more maintenance, failures etc... DC systems are relatively expensive to establish because of the need for rectifiers. But have better efficiency. The third line is more dangerous as passengers falling on the third line can be fatal.

 

[Vikki]

Islamabad for being 'closer to nature' and with all the perks of a modern city including a good public transport, hospitals and institutions, unlike many cities with gardens...Islamabad gives feel of city within a garden.

The only thing missing is a night life...and that is one reason it is very calm and peaceful.

Beautiful ..i wish I could live in a city like this.. But how is the climate there? As far as I know many Pakistani cities are extremely hot in summer and extremely cold in winter(just like north India)
Bangalore and pine have excellent weather but they are nowhere close to Islamabad regards to beauty

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Is there a JV? You can build them on your own after few years if much is learned from this construction.

And overhead or third rail has not much difference. They have their own advantages and disadvantages, while OH uses AC the Third rail uses HVDC. Mostly the OH lines tend to require more maintenance, failures etc... DC systems are relatively expensive to establish because of the need for rectifiers. But have better efficiency. The third line is more dangerous as passengers falling on the third line can be fatal.

Don't know there is a JV proposition or not...need to have one as total of four corridors are planned in just Lahore city, and this one corridor needs about 27 trains. There are some rolling stock facilities here in Pakistan at Isb carriage factory and much bigger loco manufacturing(diesel) facilities at Risalpur, not utilized fully, heard some refurbishment is going on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Locomotive_Factory

 

[Bombaywalla]

...And overhead or third rail has not much difference. They have their own advantages and disadvantages, while OH uses AC the Third rail uses HVDC. Mostly the OH lines tend to require more maintenance, failures etc... DC systems are relatively expensive to establish because of the need for rectifiers. But have better efficiency. The third line is more dangerous as passengers falling on the third line can be fatal

Platform Screen Doors (PSD) can easily fix that problem. Apart from what you’ve mentioned, a third rail looks much less cluttered and is, therefore, easier on the eyes.

 

[Advaitagrata]

The Lahore Metro train, the first Metro in Pakistan is going through a trial run, on the 27 Km corridor, it has no overhead electric wires, using a third rail system for electricity...don't know it is any better.

Yes since India has a better rail infra...it is trickling down to the Metro as well....has got the economy of scale, local rolling stock as well. The Lahore Metro civil infra is all done by the local engineering companies, the trains are imported by none other than China's Norinco group.


LAHORE: Orange Line Metro trains will run on 750 volt electrical current that will be supplied to them through a central iron/steel line, called third rail.

The third rail will run parallel on both tracks.

The electric supply system to the trains is practiced internationally, particularly in China that is entrusted with the task to introduce it in Lahore.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1233719

Is it operational ? most of the workers seems chinese.

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Beautiful ..i wish I could live in a city like this.. But how is the climate there? As far as I know many Pakistani cities are extremely hot in summer and extremely cold in winter(just like north India)
Bangalore and pine have excellent weather but they are nowhere close to Islamabad regards to beauty

Yes Islamabad do have some extreme climate, not that extreme though, winters can be icy cold with temp below freezing in winters, and in summers it can be hot at 38-39 degree Celsius avg. Islamabad can witness snow on the Margalla mountains, but not every year, it rains a lot so mostly that hot waves in summers gets diminished most of the times.

The best thing about Isb is it has got distinct seasons and with different colors of autumn, spring, winters and summers.