Double-Decker Metro Plan Scrapped for Phase-2
State Scraps Double-Decker Metro corridors, Opts for mixed elevated-underground design in Phase-2
Hyderabad: The state government has decided to scrap the plan to build double-decker elevated corridors as part of Metro Rail Phase 2 in Secunderabad and from the airport to Future City, sources said on Thursday. The proposed elevated corridor was to have the Metro Rail track on the upper deck and a road on the lower one. The proposal was meant to ease save on space.
Following a review of concerns raised by several stakeholders, including defence authorities and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the decision has been made to go with a blend of elevated and underground corridors instead, sources added. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had previously directed officials to rework the alignment for Phase-2 after securing Cabinet's approval for the metro expansion in October 2024.
The decision to eliminate the double-decker concept was primarily made to avoid constructing stations at excessive heights, which would have posed practical challenges, sources said. In particular, the Air Force Station near Hakimpet had raised concerns over the proximity of the elevated corridor to its runway. Therefore, a 1.5-km stretch of the JBS-Shamirpet route has now been planned as an underground stretch.
The revised Phase-2 plan will incorporate both elevated and underground Metro Rail corridors. The elevated section along the JBS-Medchal route will be constructed at a lower height, in compliance with AAI's height restrictions, sources added.
The JBS to Shamirpet corridor, which spans 22 km and passes through Karkhana, Alwal, Hakimpet, Thumkunta, and Shamirpet, will now feature the 1.5-km underground stretch due to the objections from the Air Force. Similarly, the JBS-Medchal corridor, which covers 24.5 km, will see modifications to accommodate the AAI's height regulations, running at a lower elevation than existing Metro Rail lines at JBS.
A major part of the Phase-2 design also involves creating a Metro Rail hub at JBS, from where the Shamirpet and Medchal Metro corridors will converge. The government is planning an ambitious 40-km extension from Shamshabad Airport to the proposed Future City, with the terminal station at the airport being underground. The elevated track will span up to Raviryala ORR before shifting to an 18 km greenfield road corridor.
The total cost of these three corridors, covering 86.5 km, is pegged at Rs 19,000 crore. The project will be funded through a combination of state government and Centre's contributions, along with loans and private sector investment. The state government intends to contribute 30 per cent of the cost, with the Centre covering 18 per cent. The remaining 48 per cent will be sourced via loans, with private players contributing 4 percent.
The state government is preparing to submit these revised alignment proposals to the Centre after they are cleared in the state Cabinet meeting, expected this month.
