Hyderabad: Metro commuters in Hyderabad are likely to wait longer during peak hours due to the delay in induction of the 60 new coaches by at least two years caused by the much drawn-out transfer of the Telangana government’s phase-I project.
Originally, the state government was planning to order additional coaches right after the formal transfer from the Centre, amid discussions with Bengaluru’s Bharat Earth Movers (BEML). The process, however, was tied up when the Centre directed a fresh valuation of the Metro project, inadvertently delaying procurement, among other major decisions.
SBI Caps, a subsidiary of State Bank of India, has been appointed to carry out the valuation and supervise the financial reconstitution. The group was also asked to identify a lender to refinance the existing debt collected by the Metro. According to officials, the valuation is expected to finish after two months, with the transfer believed to be completed by the end of 2026.
The order for additional coaches, until then, will not be placed. Even if the procurement is done, BEML has indicated a timeline of nearly 15 months, including the manufacturing and delivery period, further pushing the induction to almost two years.
The delay comes as Hyderabad Metro remains congested with more passengers, specifically on the IT corridor, where coaches during peak hours are overcrowded.
An increase in the coach capacity has become a necessity to control the crowding, officials said, adding that procurement still remains on hold until the transfer and valuation are finished.
Both the Centre and the state have taken cognisance of the issue. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy wrote to Union Minister G Kishan Reddy urging expedited growth. Meetings have since been held with Union ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Following the meetings, the Centre initiated a comprehensive review of the phase-I valuation and phase-II expansion among related problems, while SBI Caps oversees the financial process.
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