Hyderabad Metro Rail, once celebrated as the biggest public-private partnership in the country, is now facing a new challenge. L&T, which built and operates the project, has asked the Telangana government to take over Phase-1.
The Phase-1 network covers 69.2 km across three corridors, but L&T has been struggling with continuous losses and says it can no longer manage operations. With Phase-2 now being planned, the company feels that running both phases together will create complications, as trains from Phase-1 and Phase-2 are expected to share the same tracks.
The Centre has already asked Telangana to give clarity on fare sharing, electricity payments and other pending issues linked to Phase-1 before moving forward with Phase-2. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has reportedly discussed these matters with Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Delhi.
L&T has conveyed that the government can either run Phase-2 separately or take over Phase-1 entirely, as continuing in the project is financially unsustainable. The final decision now lies with the state government, while commuters wait to see how the Metro’s future will be shaped.
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