Metro Rail expansion: Hyderabad loses steam, other city Metros gain pace

Hyderabad's Metro expansion remains stalled amid uncertainty over Phase II approval and the State government's takeover of Phase I. While the Centre has approved over 380 km of Metro projects in several cities since January 2024, Telangana's proposals remain pending.

Hyderabad: As uncertainty looms over the approval of Metro Phase II and the takeover of Phase I by the State government, Hyderabad is lagging behind in the expansion of its Metro rail network while several other cities are adding significant stretches. This comes amid the BJP-led Central government’s indifference towards Telangana.

At present, Hyderabad Metro Rail covers a 69.2-km network across three corridors. In 2021, the previous BRS government submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Metro Phase II covering 26 km from BHEL to Lakdikapul and a 5-km extension from LB Nagar to Nagole. Besides this, it also proposed a Mass Rapid Transit System for the Kokapet area and the Warangal Neo Metro.

The DPRs for these routes were prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation, the same agencies that prepared DPRs for Metro projects in other cities.

Former Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao met the then Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Hardeep Singh Puri several times, urging them to expedite the approvals.

However, the Central government rejected Telangana’s proposal for Hyderabad Metro Phase II in 2023, citing reasons such as lower Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic (PHPDT) and insufficient projected ridership.

After the Congress government came to power in December 2023, it proposed seven routes covering 122 km under Phase II-A and three additional routes under Phase II-B. However, none of these proposals has seen the light of day over the last six years.

In addition to the delay in approving the Hyderabad Metro Phase II expansion plans, there has been no progress on the takeover of Phase I by the State government.

It has been a month since the Central government agreed to entrust SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAPS) with the valuation and financial assessment of Metro Phase I. Besides this, the same agency may also examine the financing structure for Phase II.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, on July 4, wrote to Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, urging him to assign the task to SBICAPS and finalise the Terms of Reference at the earliest.

In contrast, the Central government has approved Metro rail projects covering over 380 km in several cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Pune and Delhi, since January 2024.

Among the major approvals are Bengaluru Metro Rail Phase III covering 44.65 km, Chennai Metro Phase II covering 118.9 km, Lucknow Phase IB covering 11.16 km, Ahmedabad Metro Phase IIA covering 6.03 km and Phase IIB covering 3.33 km.