Hyderabad Metro Phase 2 is set to add 123 km to the city’s network, with work on the Old City stretch from MGBS to Chandrayangutta expected to begin soon, according to Ajith Reddy, Additional Managing Director of Hyderabad Metro Rail. The proposed expansion would take the system’s total length close to or beyond 200 km over the next five to six years.
Reddy said the Telangana government had made the second phase a priority and that preparations were under way for construction in the Old City. The proposed route is expected to improve access in some of Hyderabad’s most densely populated areas while providing an additional public transport option along corridors facing growing traffic pressure.
Hyderabad’s existing Metro network spans 69 km and carries an average of around 4.75 lakh passengers a day. Reddy said the city’s ridership could double once the remaining proposed network is constructed and opened to the public. The expansion is therefore expected to increase the role of Metro services in daily travel across a larger part of the city.
The Old City works are part of a broader Phase 2 proposal rather than a completed network expansion. The report does not specify a final commissioning date for the full 123 km or provide a detailed construction schedule for every proposed corridor. It does, however, identify the MGBS-Chandrayangutta section as the area where works are expected to commence soon.
Hyderabad Metro Rail is also examining a Personal Rapid Transit System, or PRTS, to address travel between Metro stations and surrounding neighbourhoods. Reddy said the technology assessment and traffic study for the system had been completed and that the organisation could issue a request for proposal in about a month.
The proposed PRTS would complement the Metro by providing last-mile connectivity, an issue that can determine how easily residents access high-capacity public transport. Reddy said public-private partnerships could be important in developing PRT and related systems, building on the PPP model used for the first phase of Hyderabad Metro.
The institutional arrangement for the network is also changing. The Telangana government is taking over Phase 1 from L&T, according to the report, with the stated objective of facilitating a smooth transition as the city moves towards the next phase. The Metro expansion is being considered alongside elevated corridors being built by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority and road-widening projects in different parts of the city.
The next immediate milestones are the commencement of works in the Old City and the proposed request for proposal for the Personal Rapid Transit System. Further details on the full Phase 2 alignment, construction schedule and implementation arrangements were not provided in the report.
