Hyderabad: In a major boost to the public transportation system in the city, the Telangana government has approved the finalisation of new routes for the Phase 2 expansion of the Hyderabad Metro Rail. The expansion will add 70 km of new Metro rail corridors, connecting the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and other important areas of the city.
The Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, gave the green signal to the new routes, which were proposed by the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) after scrapping the previous routes announced by the former government. The previous routes were deemed not useful and did not cover a large section of the city’s population.
The new routes, which are expected to cost around Rs 20,000 crore, will be developed in six elevated corridors, all extensions of the existing lines built in the 67 km Phase 1 project. The preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) for the new Metro corridors is in full swing and is likely to be completed in about three months.
The new routes are as follows:
Corridor 2: MGBS Metro Station to Falaknuma (5.5 km) and Falaknuma to Chandrayangutta Cross Road (1.5 km)
Corridor 4: Nagole Metro Station to LB Nagar Metro Station and connect Chandrayangutta Cross Road, Mailardevpally, P7 Road to Shamshabad Airport (a total of 29 km) and Mailardevpally to the proposed High Court at Rajendra Nagar via Aramghar (4 km)
Corridor 5: Raidurg Metro Station to Biodiversity Junction, Nanakramguda Junction, Wipro Junction and US Consulate (Financial District) (8 km)
Corridor 6: Miyapur Metro Station to Patancheru via BHEL (14 km)
Corridor 7: LB Nagar Metro Station to Vanasthalipuram and Hayatnagar (8 km)
The main objective of the new Metro rail connectivity is to offer public transportation to a greater number of people at a lower cost and reduce traffic congestion and pollution in the city. The new routes will also enhance the accessibility and convenience of the commuters, especially those travelling to and from the airport.
The HMRL Managing Director, NVS Reddy, said that the new routes were designed after taking into account the current and future travel demand, population density, employment opportunities, land use patterns, and socio-economic factors of the city. He also said that the new routes will have interchanges with the existing Metro lines and other modes of transport, such as bus, rail, and road.
The Phase 2 expansion of the Hyderabad Metro Rail is expected to be completed by 2030, subject to the approval of the state government and the availability of funds. The expansion will make Hyderabad one of the largest Metro rail networks in the country, with a total length of 137 km and 116 stations.
