South Central Railways is considering the introduction of airport specials from Lingampalli and Secunderabad to Umdanagar, the nearest rail head to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad.
This proposal was discussed threadbare at a high-level meeting convened by General Manager, SCR, P.K. Srivastava, with operational department heads. The objective is to cater to the airport-bound passenger traffic and make available a convenient, cost-effective public transportation to help people reach the airport through the suburban rail corridor.
Initially it is being planned to run Airport Special in the form of DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Units) on a pilot basis after discussing it threadbare with the concerned State Government officials. Slightly over 6 km away, Umdanagar is the nearest rail connection for Shamshabad. While facilitating passengers boarding flights out of Hyderabad or those flying in to the city, these Specials will also help other local commuters, a majority of them working in several companies in an area that is increasingly becoming an industrial hub.
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Mr. Srivastava wanted officials to prepare a detailed, operational plan to run DEMU trains, matching them with peak air traffic timings at RGIA. “To enable passengers to travel from Umdanagar Station to the airport, feeder bus services need to be arranged and we are initiating talks with the Road Transport Authorities,” he said. Also, it needs additional facilities like a wide circulating area, parking for road vehicles, waiting area and the like at Umdanagar Station to facilitate smooth transhipment of passengers.
For the past year or two, talks between the GMR Group that runs RGIA and the Railways have failed to make headway. A couple of months ago, Mr. Srivastava had categorically stated that in the event RGIA does not permit trains right up to the airport, they would have to fall back on a Plan B and develop Umdanagar as a hub.