While searchlights are on the upcoming elevated metro rail project and MMTS phase two of suburban ground rail system to connect different corners of the capital, the service in certain sections where the suburban rail system currently runs has been falling apart in the last few years.
This service is apart from the MMTS phase one suburban rail system connecting Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Kacheguda, Falaknuma and Lingampally.
The South Central Railway (SCR) has also been running the suburban rail system connecting different corners like Bolarum (14 km), Medchal (28 km) and Manoharabad (41 km) from Secunderabad for more than two decades now.
Lifeline
In fact, the suburban train services on Bolarum-Secunderabad-Falaknuma section began from the metre gauge system post-Independence with steam and later diesel engines when they were curtailed during gauge conversion period. Once restarted in the mid-90s, they became a lifeline for office-goers and students till the services were progressively truncated, due to poor passenger patronage and also owing to “congestion” at the Secunderabad railway station.
From close to 10,000 passengers a day, it has come down to 5,800 in the last six years. The train services which were upto 45 a day once upon a time are just 13 services now, eight of which are connected to the Secunderabad station.
“The main problem is that there are no trains during the peak hours, either in the morning or evening, and to reach Secunderabad station, we have to alight at Sitaphalmandi and take another train. It is also difficult to get connecting trains if anyone wants to go towards Hi-Tec City or Lingampally,” says Sridhar N., once a regular passenger.
A look at the railway time-table clearly shows that there are no trains roughly after 8.10 a.m. till 9.50 a.m. between Secunderabad-Bolarum/Medchal or in the return direction with the next service only at 12.15 p.m. or 12.40 p.m.. Even during evenings, there are no trains after 4.15 p.m. or 4.45 p.m. till after 6.15 p.m. — clearly an inconvenience to daily passengers forcing them to take to congested roads even if it takes hours to reach their respective destinations.
Low priority
“Why will anyone take the suburban trains when these are often stopped in the outer for an hour though it’s cheaper and faster? We have made repeated representations to senior officers suggesting alternatives, but little has been done so far. Let the trains run on time, passengers will be back,” says Noor Ahmed Ali, general secretary, Suburban Train & Bus Travellers’ Association.
A former railway employee, Mr. Ali has been fighting for improvement in the suburban train transport for several years involving fellow passengers. “We have sought running of MMTS phase one services at least upto Malkajgiri and extending the suburban services upto Jangoan as there are many educational institutions there,” he avers.
Road connectivity
Railway officials too admit to falling passenger count. “Patronage has been coming from Lalaguda Gate to Manoharabad during the past few years, not only because of less frequency but also due to road connectivity that has increased enormously. Once MMTS phase two work is over, the Bolarum–Secunderabad and Moula Ali–Sanatnagar sections will be strengthened to improve services,” says SCR Chief Public Relations Officer M. Umashankar Kumar.
However, passengers are apprehensive that even after the MMTS phase two is ready, Secunderabad station may be bypassed considering the increasing rail traffic through this route even if the goods trains are expected to bypass through Moula Ali station. “The lines electrification is only upto Bolarum and doubling and electrification upto Medchal so suburban trains could still be made to wait in the outer,” observes S. Madhav, another passenger.
