DPRs on Hyderabad Metro phase-II in final stage: Official

Phase-1 of Hyderabad Metro Rail project, covering 66 km, would be completed by next year and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on phase-II are in the final stage, a top official said Tuesday.

With 46 km of Phase 1 now operational, Hyderabad Metro Monday became the country's second largest Metro Rail network, next only to Delhi.

The Ameerpet-Hi-Tec City 10 km line will be open from December (this year) while services between Jubilee Bus Station and MGBS (10 km) will be launched mid-2019, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) Managing Director N V S Reddy told reporters Tuesday.

"We want to complete a total of 66 km (network) out of Phase-1 of the project, other than the Old City, by the second part of next year," Reddy said.

The concessionaire L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited, building the project across three corridors,has spent about Rs 13,000 crore so far, while the government has chipped in with another Rs 2,300 crore in tune with VGF (Viability Gap Fund) guidelines, Reddy said.

The Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana E S L Narasimhan, after inaugurating the 16-km stretch of Hyderabad Metro between Ameerpet and L B Nagar Monday, set December this year as the target for completion of Hi-Tec City Metro line.

On Metro passing through the Old City, which is part of the Phase-I (MGBS-Falaknuma, a stretch of 5.5 km), Reddy said as per directions of "(Telangana caretaker) Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, surveys are going on and markings of property acquisition will be done...physical activity (construction) it takes three years".

Regarding Phase-II expansion programme to connect to the International Airport at Shamshabad, Reddy said "we are exploring different options (route).

The DPRs for Phase-II are almost in the final stage. We will do internal discussions and then send it to the government...the government has to approve".

Over 2.5 lakh smart cards (used by commuters to travel) have been sold so far, Reddy said.

Asked how much more would be invested on the project, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited MD & CEO K V B Reddy said "Once we reach the completion stage, we can comment on it".

On the Metro route in Old City, the L&T official said the alignment route would be decided once the survey was completed.

Last November,Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated a 30 kms stretch between Miyapur and Nagole out of the 72-km long elevated metro project of phase-I.