TG Govt’s New Metro Expansion Plan: Goodbye to Hyd Traffic?

The Telangana Assembly moved a resolution in the Assembly to take over the Metro Rail Project Phase-1 from L&T. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also said that the state has decided to move forward with the expansion of metro rail project, under the Phase-II works.

The 69-km Phase-1 network of Hyderabad Metro Rail will be taken over from L&T as the transaction is to be completed by March 31 this year. The government has decided to acquire Metro Phase-1 as the Union government has made it clear that Phase-II expansion works can be taken up as a joint venture between the Centre and state only if the entire Metro network is under a single entity.

The takeover will remove the ownership hurdles that could possibly stall the Phase-II works. Moreover, L&T is not willing to undertake the Metro Rail Phase-II works under a pubic-private partnership.

As L&T is not interested in continuing with the project and the Centre has come forward to fund the project, the Telangana government has decided that acquisition is the only way forward.

In the wake of the increasing traffic hurdles on road for the public, the Metro Phase-II expansion works are being viewed to provide a major relief to the commuters. Metro Rail is the preferred alternative for public transport, given the smoke-free, jerk-free, cool cabin atmosphere and comfortable travel for the commuters.

The Phase-II expansion works are estimated to cost Rs 18,579 crore and would cover 86.1-km enhancing connectivity to the airport, Old City and IT corridors.

The airport, Old City and IT corridors are high traffic zones with lakhs of commuters plying through the routes on a daily basis. There are plans to extend the Metro services to the Future City too which is expected to develop into a major activity hub in the next few years.

With the suburban areas growing at a rapid pace, the Metro Rail project is crucial in connecting these areas with the city core. As Metro rail is gradually turning into the preferred mode of transport, the Telangana government is also planning to reduce the heavy traffic on roads, already choking with numerous private and public vehicles, by expanding the Metro works to several other far flung areas witnessing dense traffic.