Hyderabad:

The decision marks a departure from the previously ambitious blueprint, prompted by mounting concerns from key national institutions, including the defence authorities and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). After the Metro Phase-2 expansion received Cabinet approval in October 2024, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy called for a thorough reassessment of the proposed alignments.

 In a major pivot in Hyderabad’s transport infrastructure development, the Telangana state government has dropped its earlier plan to build double-decker elevated corridors under Phase 2 of the Metro Rail project. The earlier design, which proposed placing a Metro line atop an elevated road to maximise land use, has been replaced with a more practical combination of underground and single-tier elevated routes.

Towering structures pose engineering & security difficulties: Official

The defence establishment raised objections on security grounds, prompting planners to reroute a 1.5-kilometre section of the JBS–Shamirpet line underground.

As per a  report, officials involved in the revised planning process cited operational and safety complications associated with the double-decker design. The towering structures needed to accommodate both a road deck and a Metro line would have posed engineering and security difficulties, especially near sensitive zones. One of the main obstacles arose from the proximity of the proposed corridor to the Air Force Station in Hakimpet.

What is poised to change with latest change in plans?

Under the updated alignment, the 86.5-km Phase-2 project will now feature a mix of elevated and subterranean tracks. The 22-km corridor between Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) and Shamirpet, passing through Karkhana, Alwal, Hakimpet, Thumkunta and Shamirpet will include an underground stretch to address the defence concerns.

Meanwhile, the 24.5-km JBS–Medchal line will remain elevated but at a reduced height to comply with AAI’s aviation safety norms, particularly in areas near the existing Metro infrastructure at JBS.

Project cost & funding

The comprehensive redesign is projected to cost around Rs 19,000 crore. Of this, the Telangana government has pledged to finance 30 per cent, while the central government is expected to contribute 18 per cent. The remainder, just over half the total cost—will be sourced through loans and private sector investment.

Major interchange at Jubilee Bus Station

Central to the new configuration is the establishment of a major interchange at Jubilee Bus Station, which will serve as a pivotal hub connecting the Shamirpet and Medchal corridors. Another key segment of the expansion, the 40-km route from Shamshabad Airport to the planned Future City, will begin underground at the airport terminal. It will surface near Raviryala along the Outer Ring Road and continue for 18 kilometres on a greenfield alignment.

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