A six-fold jump in Metro Rail network in Greater Hyderabad is on cards as the Telangana Cabinet has given its nod for large-scale expansion at a cost of Rs 69,000 crore over next 3-4 years.
Currently, Hyderabad Metro is operational on three corridors to a total length of 69 kilometers. The government last month decided to launch work to expand the Metro in the Old City by starting work on the remaining 5.5 km stretch.
Tender process is in the final stage for 31-km long Airport Metro from Raidurgam near Hitec City to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad.
The Cabinet on Monday approved a Metro line from BHEL to Lakdikapul with connectivity to Miyapur (26 km) and expansion from Nagole to LB Nagar (5 km) with a revised cost estimate of Rs 9,100 crore. The works will be taken as a joint venture partnership project of the government of Telangana and the Centre.
Once completed, these works will increase the Metro network to 136.5 km.
In addition to these, the Cabinet approved 12 Metro corridors totaling to 278 km at a cost of about Rs 60,000 crore. This will take the overall Metro connectivity in and around the city to 414.5 km.
There will be eight Metro extension corridors while there will be four Outer Ring Road (ORR) Metro corridors.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao directed MA&UD department and Metro Rail authorities to get PPRs (Preliminary Project Reports)/ DPRs prepared for all these corridors.
“Hyderabad is a global city and torchbearer. The infrastructure needs to be improved. Public transport will be expanded to meet the growing demand,” state minister for municipal administration and urban development K. T. Rama Rao said after the Cabinet meeting.
The proposed eight Metro extension corridors will be of total length of 142 km, proposed to be developed at a cost of Rs 39,190 crore. These include two double elevated corridors (JBS to Tumkunta and Paradise Metro Rail Station to Kandlakoya). While the first level of the flyover is proposed for motor vehicles, the second level will be for Metro trains.
Six Metro extension corridors will all be elevated. They are BHEL-Patancheruvu-ORR-Isnapur (13 km), LB Nagar-Hayathnagar-Pedda Amberpet (13 km), Shamshabad Junction Metro Station-Kothur-Shadnagar (28 km), Uppal-ORR-Ghatkesar-Bibinagar (25 km), Shamshabad Airport-Tukkuguda ORR-Maheswaram X Road-Kandukur (26 km) and Tarnaka-ECIL (8 km).
Four ORR Metro corridors will be developed to a length of 136 km at a cost of Rs.20,810 crore. The corridors will be elevated/atgrade. The proposed corridors include ORR Shamshabad Junction (NH44)-Tukkuguda Jn-Bongulur, Jn-Pedda Amberpet Jn (NH65), which will be 40 km long. ORR Pedda Amberpet Jn (NH65)-Ghatkesar Jn-Shamirpet Jn-Medchal Jn (NH44) will be developed to a length of 45 km. ORR Medchal Jn (NH44)-Dundigal Jn-Patancheru Jn (NH65) corridor will be 29 km long. ORR Patancheruvu Jn (NH65)-Kokapet Jn-Narsingi Jn will span 22 km.
The state government hopes that the Centre will come forward to help in Metro expansion. The state government will pursue the Centre. Minister KTR said that if there is no support from the Centre, the state will go alone.
He also remarked that if the present government does not extend the help, there will be a coalition government in 2024 and BRS will play a key role and seek the Centre’s help.
