Last week, Narayanadri Express chugged into Lingampalli railway station rather than terminating at Secunderabad railway station, becoming the fourth express train to have been extended towards the capital’s west end.
Soon, Intercity Express towards Vijayawada too will be run six days a week from here, sparing scores of passengers living in this side of the city the trouble of taking the arduous road journey through heavy traffic or having to wait to get into local MMTS trains towards Nampally, Secunderabad or Kacheguda stations.
In the last couple of years, South Central Railway (SCR) has been making a conscious effort to improve infrastructure at Lingampalli to not only provide rail connectivity to the fast growing part of the city, but also because it helps in de-congesting Secunderabad station.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We have developed two rail maintenance lines at a cost of ₹7.5 crore including stabling lines and coach cleaning facility. We have already moved four trains towards Lingampalli and more trains will be extended as we strengthen the infrastructure,” says General Manager Vinod Kumar Yadav.
Among the measures being taken up to improve amenities at the station are extending platforms four and five plus upgrading them to accommodate full-capacity trains. Raising the height of platform number two and three, drinking water points covering the entire platform, extending platform covers, installation of digital coach indicator signages, etc., are underway.
An electronic reservation charting system, escalators on platform one and six, lifts, new foot overbridge — all costing more than ₹7 crore, and CCTV surveillance cameras to strengthen passenger security are also on the anvil, according to Mr. Yadav.
ADVERTISEMENT
Once SCR hedged its bets on Lingampalli and not Hi-Tec City station as was planned earlier, the station got a new building, platform three was extended, automatic ticket vending units were installed and a second foot-overbridge was built, all costing more than ₹8 crore in recent times. “It is an important station handling 40,000 passengers and 108 MMTS trains. Eight pairs of passenger trains and 14 pairs of express trains stop here. With increased rail traffic, we had developed 5,000 sq.mts of circulating area with parking provision for vehicles,” informs M. Umashankar Kumar, chief public relations officer.
Testifies Ravi Kumar, a private employee: “It is a big boon for people staying in Hi-Tec City, Gachibowli and environs as we need not travel long distances to catch a long-distance train, pick up or drop someone. We need more trains from here.”
But, both approach roads to the station need a total overhaul is what passengers demand.