HYDERABAD: The much-anticipated Hyderabad Metro phase 2 will initially cover 76.4 kilometres along five corridors instead of the planned 116.4 kilometres, with the fourth city Metro connectivity of 40 kilometres put on hold, officials announced on Tuesday.
The Metro phase 2 is expected to serve eight lakh passengers daily on completion.
“The fourth city is still a virgin concept, so as per the govt’s recommendation, we have strategically prioritised five corridors based on immediate urban mobility needs and technical feasibility,” Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) managing director NVS Reddy said, adding “the detailed project reports for these corridors have been finalised, and we’re ready to break ground by Jan 2025.”
The phase 2 proposal, DPR, a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP), and also alternative transit analysis reports have been submitted to the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) for technical and financial evaluation.
Works would begin first with the 7.5-km Old City corridor expansion from MBGS to Chandrayangutta, wherein 500 preliminary notifications for land acquisition have already been issued. With awards scheduled in the third week of Dec, demolitions and utility shifting were going to begin by the end of the year.
The phase 2 would feature Hyderabad’s first double-decker flyover, a 1.6-kilometre stretch combining Metro viaduct and flyover near Madinaguda. “For this, we have asked NHAI to halt flyover construction so that Metro works can be done simultaneously. Similarly, there are nearly six flyovers being constructed by National Highway authorities from LB Nagar to Hayathnagar, so we are going to build Metro on the left service lane.”
The construction timeline has also been accelerated through the adoption of ‘double U’ girders (precast, pre-tensioned, U-shaped structural components), a modern construction technique. The Metro phase 1 was constructed using box girders, which took longer to construct.
However, the project faces challenges in the northern corridor, which currently falls short of the Union govt 90% right of way requirement. “This is why we could not add connectivity up to Medchal in this phase,” he added.
Speaking about the finances of the project, the managing director said, “Earlier under the PPP model, banks lent us money at a 10% interest rate, creating an interest burden of ₹1,300 crore a year. Now, under the JV model, we have funds available at 2% interest rate. The loan can be repaid in as much as 40 years, giving more scope for profitability as well as quality service for our passengers.”
