The call for central government support to fund Phase II of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project has intensified, with Bhongir Member of Parliament Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy raising the matter in the Lok Sabha earlier this week. He emphasised the strategic importance of expanding metro infrastructure in Hyderabad to match the pace of urban growth across India.

According to the Telangana state government’s official submission, Phase II of the project proposes five new corridors spanning 76.4 kilometres, with an estimated total cost of ₹24,269 crore. The expansion is intended to be executed under a joint venture model between the Government of Telangana and the Government of India, similar to the structure used in other metro projects across the country.

The MP pointed out that despite Hyderabad’s early leadership in metro rail development, boasting the second-largest metro network in India in 2010 after New Delhi, the city has slipped to ninth place. The first phase of the project, comprising three corridors over 69 kilometres, was completed with an investment of ₹22,000 crore and began operations between 2017 and 2020, as confirmed by reports from L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Reddy also expressed concern over the prolonged delay in the Union government’s approval for Phase-II, noting that smaller cities such as Bhopal, Patna, and Agra have already secured approvals for similar projects through joint ventures. He urged the central government to expedite its decision to avoid further disparity in urban infrastructure development.

Urban transport experts argue that expanding the metro system is essential for addressing Hyderabad’s growing traffic congestion, improving connectivity to newly developed residential and commercial zones, and contributing to environmental sustainability by reducing vehicular emissions. The proposal aligns with India’s National Urban Transport Policy, which promotes metro systems as a solution for sustainable mobility in major urban centres.

The Phase II expansion is expected to significantly boost public transport capacity, improve last-mile connectivity, and support Hyderabad’s economic growth trajectory if sanctioned.