Hyderabad is poised for a monumental metro expansion, aiming to cover 640 kilometres by 2050 under a comprehensive master plan. This multi-phase development is strategically designed to accommodate the city’s projected population growth to 3.5 crore, promising to revolutionise public transport, ease traffic congestion, and significantly contribute to a more sustainable, eco-friendly urban future.
The Telangana government has commissioned consultancy firm Lee Associates to prepare the “Comprehensive Master Plan-2050,” with a central focus on bolstering public transport infrastructure, encompassing the Hyderabad Metro Rail, MMTS, and major road networks. The consultancy’s proposal outlines a phased metro expansion, crucial for meeting the escalating transport demands of the rapidly growing Hyderabad Metropolitan Area (HMA). This long-term vision underscores a commitment to proactive urban planning, ensuring that infrastructure development keeps pace with demographic shifts.
The expansion plan unfolds in distinct phases: the second phase, targeted for completion by 2030, will add 162.5 kilometres of new metro routes, extending total coverage to 231.5 kilometres and expecting a daily ridership of 15 lakh passengers. By 2040, the third phase aims to expand the network to 340 kilometres, with an anticipated daily ridership of 35 lakh commuters. The final phase, by 2050, envisions a sprawling 640-kilometre metro network, projected to serve an impressive 65 lakh passengers daily, establishing the metro as the undisputed backbone of the city’s public transport.
This metro expansion is meticulously aligned with the development of the Regional Ring Road, ensuring multi-directional connectivity across an expanded Hyderabad Metropolitan City. The metro will play a critical role in linking key economic hubs, residential zones, and industrial corridors across 11 districts, including Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal, Sangareddy, Siddipet, and Mahbubnagar. Such integrated planning is essential for fostering balanced regional growth, reducing urban sprawl, and creating a more equitable distribution of opportunities across the wider metropolitan area.
In parallel with the transport master plan, the government has engaged Crisil Private Limited to formulate the “Hyderabad Economic Development Plan.” This initiative, integral to positioning Hyderabad among the top-10 global cities, proposes establishing 35 economic mandals and creating major logistics hubs across various zones. Crisil’s detailed report will also guide the state’s future-ready financial strategy for long-term urban growth. Urban planners and experts widely concur that the metro rail will be pivotal in reducing traffic congestion, curbing pollution, and enabling world-class urban mobility, thereby ensuring Hyderabad’s journey towards becoming a zero net carbon, gender-neutral, and truly sustainable global city.
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