Just as the Telangana government was preparing to sign an agreement with Larsen & Toubro to acquire L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) and operate the first phase of the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) as a government entity, the Center has thrown a curveball by proposing an alternative model for the second phase through the Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) at a significantly lower cost, top sources said on Wednesday. RRTS – being a high-speed rail system – would be more suitable for the proposed HMR Phase II (76. 4 km) and Phase 2B (86.

1 km) corridors. According to the proposal, if adopted, the model would eliminate the need for the state government to acquire L&T’s stake, allowing L&T to continue operating the existing 69.

2 km Phase I network in the three corridors.