The Hindu Business Line : Hyderabad Metro to link up airport with 12-km stretch

Hyderabad, March 21 The $2.2-billion Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMR), a project aimed at providing mass rapid transport system and decongest the city, may now be extended to the new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), by adding a new line of 12 more km in the next phase.

The special purpose vehicle is also planning a “Merry-go-round” feeder ring-like links to provide connectivity to all stations and make them accessible to commuters.

Significantly, additional investments of about Rs 3,200 crore are likely to build support infrastructure, including malls that could make the project about $3 billion (Rs 12,000 crore), four times the size of the RGIA developed by GMR consortium.

The project would be ready in four years.

The Managing Director of HMR, Mr NVS Reddy, today said that the financial bids for the project will be called by April and a developer from among five in the fray will be chosen by June.

Addressing delegates at the IT Summit, Mr Reddy said that the project being guided by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, and with the support of consultants Span Semaly, will have three major corridors.

Each station will be truly world class with adequate parking and circulating areas. The first phase of three lines will cover 66 km stretch.

With the need felt to add a mass transit system to airport, it is now proposed to add additional 12 km stretch to the second line from Secunderabad that passes through Old City and reaches the airport. This is expected to cut short time and add to convenience, he said.

To make these three major lines accessible to people, it is proposed to link them up with feeder bus services, he said.

Initially, the Government was planning to extend the rail line to the airport. But now, it is considering metro link.

Once the financial bids are through, the build, own and operate (BOT) developer would be chosen from among the five consortia led by Magna Allmore, Reliance ADAG, Navabharat, GVK and Essar.

Huge Investments

The Chairman of HMR and Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Dr C.V.S.K. Sarma, said that the Greater Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad is likely to see investments of about Rs 40,000 crore for various development projects over the next three years.

These projects cover those under public-private partnership mode, those funded by the Central Government and also include ones taken up by the corporation.

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