The government’s focus in the coming months for the elevated Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) phase two expansion will be about 67.5 km and 42 stations, at an estimated total cost of about ₹17,150 crore.
Under this, it will be aiming to complete the remaining stretch of Green Line (Corridor 2) of first phase of HMR of 5.5 km from MGBS -Falaknuma with five stations at a cost of ₹1,800 crore. The 31-km, ₹6,250 crore Airport Metro with nine stations; ₹9,100 crore Lakidikapul-BHEL of 26 km and 24 stations and connecting Red Line and Blue Lines of first phase by linking Nagole to LB Nagar stations of 5 km and four stations come under this phase.
The Old City line work is likely to take off soon with alignment more or less finalised and L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) likely to be entrusted with the responsibility of completing the line, said HMR Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy. He was equally sure of the Centre giving permission for Lakidikapul-BHEL elevated metro line at 50-50 cost sharing following recent meeting of Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao with Union Minister for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri at New Delhi.
The bigger plan of the government and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is to cover the nearby villages/towns and the entire Outer Ring Road (ORR) with metro lines to handle expected population growth due to urban migration from current 1.20 crore to more than two crore population, with an efficient public transport in place.
Hence, the proposed plan is to have HMR Phase Three (a) 142 km and 68 stations and (b) 136 km and 165 stations or a total metro network of 415 km and 186 stations, when Hyderabad will be next only to Delhi in terms of metro rail coverage. These include Shamshabad junction to Peddamberpet junction of 40 km/five stations with 24 km of elevated section and 16 km of on-ground connecting Hardware City, Fab City, Adibatla,etc.
Peddamberpet – Medchal through Ghatkesar and Shameerpet of 45 km/five stations with 32 km of elevated sections and 13 on-ground. Medchal to Patancheru through Dundigal of 29 km/three stations with 24 km elevated and 5 km on ground; Patacheru-Narsingi through Kokapet of 22 km/three stations with 19 km of elevated line and three km of on ground line.
“We could not go for totally at-grade or on-ground metro line on the ORR though there is a right of way because there are about 200 road interchanges and a rail line gradient cannot be changed so often. We have done only preliminary work and a detailed project report will be worked out,” said Mr. Reddy.
