Hyderabad Plans Integrated Metro Hub at JBS
To solve technical challenges in the alignment of metro rail corridors to Medchal and Shamirpet, Hyderabad Metro Rail officials have proposed creating an integrated metro hub at JBS. This plan includes running the elevated metro corridor beneath the Begumpet airport runway.
On Sunday, NVS Reddy, Managing Director of Hyderabad Airport Metro Ltd (HAML), inspected the site along with senior engineers and technical consultants to explore the feasibility of the project. During the inspection, officials highlighted the engineering challenges associated with the steep road curvature from Paradise to Bowenpally near the airport boundary. Due to the requirements of airport authorities, the proposed elevated corridor by HMDA will pass below the runway of Begumpet airport through a 600-meter tunnel.
However, integrating the metro rail with this proposed HMDA corridor poses complications. The metro, currently planned at a double-elevation level, would need to drop into a tunnel below the airport and then rise again to its original height. This process presents significant technical challenges for construction and alignment.
To explore alternative routes, the inspection team evaluated multiple roads in the Cantonment area, including JBS-Secunderabad Club Road, Staff Road, Mudfort Road, Tivoli Junction Road, and Bowenpally Road. After the assessment, officials found it more practical to combine the two metro corridors at JBS. This approach would eliminate the need to route the metro through the airport tunnel. Instead, metro pillars and viaducts could be built on the widened service road median without affecting the NH flyovers currently under construction.
Explaining the benefits of this plan, NVS Reddy said, “This alignment provides a direct link for the Medchal corridor with the airport corridor, creating a 60 km end-to-end metro corridor connecting Medchal-JBS-MGBS-Chandrayangutta-Airport.”
For the JBS-Shamirpet metro corridor, Reddy added that it could be extended from the existing first metro pillar near Secunderabad Club. This extension would be built as a double-elevated structure above the HMDA elevated corridor on Karimnagar Highway.
To support this vision, plans are in motion to develop JBS into a mega metro hub. Around 30 acres of land, belonging to the State government and defense authorities, will be pooled to cater to the commuting and other needs of residents in Secunderabad and northern Hyderabad. A detailed project report is being prepared and is expected to be completed by March.
