We will build Metro without Central funds, asserts CM KCR

HYDERABAD: As he laid the foundation stone for the 31-km Hyderabad Airport Metro Rail project on Friday, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao asserted that the Telangana government could proceed with constructing Metro Rail corridors across the city without seeking financial assistance from the Central government.

“Whether or not the Centre supports the expansion of Metro Rail corridors, we can proceed and improve connectivity in the city,” the CM said while addressing a gathering on the ground of the Telangana State Police Academy after laying the cornerstone for the Airport Express Metro Rail corridor.

The project, which will run from Mindspace Junction to the Hyderabad International Airport in Shamshabad, will cost approximately Rs. 6,250 crore and be fully funded by the state government, he asserted. The HMDA and GMR Airport officials presented the CM with cheques totalling Rs. 625 crore each, or 10 per cent of the project's cost, at the event.

Rao added that 4.3 lakh people use the Metro Rail, and when the airport line is implemented this number would increase by an 70,000 to 80,000 users daily. “There are no traffic-free or pollution-free systems across the world other than mass transportation and Metro Rail. I believe this needs to be enhanced in the city and suburbs as well. BHEL must be connected to this Metro line. A Metro line is also required around Hyderabad and along the Outer Ring Road. The state government has been meeting the requirements of the growing population and building infrastructure properly, regardless of whether or not we have the backing of the Union government,” he remarked.

Stating that the city was among the first in the country to have electricity supply in 1912, the CM claimed that Hyderabad had been transformed into a "Power Island" by being connected to all of the state's power generating stations as well as the national electricity grid, resulting in uninterrupted supply of power. According to him, while there might be power disruptions in London, New York and Paris, there would not be any power outage in Hyderabad.

Speaking about the city's historical significance, the CM noted that Hyderabad had always been a cosmopolitan city with a multicultural mosaic and that it was currently one of the best in the country and the world.

The airport corridor would pass through Narsingi, TS Police Academy, and Rajendranagar before arriving in Shamshabad. The Airport Express Metro will connect with the Raidurg Metro Terminal Station at Mindspace Junction via the Outer Ring Road, passing through Biodiversity Junction, Khajaguda Road, and Nanakramguda Junction. From here, it will be routed to RGIA via the ORR's existing dedicated Metro Rail Right of Way (RoW).

The Airport Metro Express would have more aerodynamic coaches and a top speed of 120 kmph. It would start with three cars and grow to six in the future, officials have stated. Phase II will have elevated, grade-level, and underground tracks, as opposed to Metro Rail Phase I, which is an elevated line. The airport will be covered by 2.630 km to 2.635 km of the 31-km stretch, while the remaining 26.365 km will be elevated and 0.840 km will be at grade level. Approximately 1 km will be at grade or road level between elevated and underground.

Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) is a special-purpose vehicle and a joint venture between Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL), and Telangana State Industrial and Infrastructure Cooperation (TSIIC). Municipal Administration and Urban Development minister K.T. Rama Rao, animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, labour minister Malla Reddy, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and others participated in the programme.