Hyderabad: L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail has proposed a revision in metro fares, seeking to increase the minimum fare from Rs 10 to Rs 15 and the maximum from Rs 60 to Rs 75, effective from May 10. The company is expected to meet Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy soon to gain approval for the hike. The scheduled meeting on May 8 was postponed, as the state government had not yet reviewed the fare proposal. L&T Group Chairman S.N. Subrahmanyan is reportedly seeking a personal meeting with the CM to make a strong case for the fare increase.
The proposed hike comes amid reports of financial distress within the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. According to a report submitted in late April, L&TMRHL suffered a loss of Rs 625 crore in FY 2024–25, with cumulative losses since the metro’s 2017 launch reaching Rs 6,598.21 crore. A major chunk of this, around Rs 4,828.55 crore, was incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and reduced ridership. Drawing comparisons to Bengaluru Metro, which recently implemented a 44% fare hike, L&T is advocating for similar measures to sustain operations.
Currently, Hyderabad Metro fares begin at Rs 10 for up to 2 kilometers and go up to Rs 60 for travel beyond 26 kilometers. With an average daily ridership of five lakh commuters, any revision is expected to impact a significant portion of the city’s population. While L&T emphasizes the need for a hike to stabilize the project’s finances, the proposal awaits a crucial decision from the state government amidst public concern over rising costs in urban transportation.
