The South Central Railway (SCR), which has taken up MMTS phase-II project through Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), is planning to augment the ongoing phase-I services between Hyderabad-Secunderabad-Falaknuma-Lingampally from the current nine coach trains to 12 coach trains. This is to increase passenger-carrying capacity of the trains. The Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) car shed for MMTS services at Moula Ali is being expanded at a cost of ₹6 crore for the purpose. The first section in phase-II between Secunderabad and Bolarum is getting ready with 10 stations en route at a cost of ₹12 crore.
SCR General Manager Vinod Kumar Yadav said tenders were being floated for providing a new foot over bridge at Lallaguda station and another FoB at Bolarum. At Falaknuma, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) outpost has been upgraded with separate barracks for women security personnel. At Malkajgiri, coach indication boards have been provided at all three platforms at a cost of ₹90 lakh, while ₹4 crore was spent on easing drainage flow and preventing water stagnation as this was a long-pending demand.
He informed that ₹2.5 crore Road Under Bridge (RuB) between Budwel and Umdanagar near Satamrai was scheduled to be completed this year, as also the ₹23.62-crore RuB at Anandbagh, Malkajgiri. Work on Tukaram Gate and an RoB at Borabanda would begin soon. Work on RoB widening at a cost of ₹10.10 crore at Falaknuma is under way and tenders would be called soon, while construction of RuB at Malakpet is awaiting the government’s nod. “The Railway Ministry has accorded priority for rail infra development work in and around the city with focus on the increasing needs of rail users, besides contributing towards enhancing civic infrastructure,” senior officials said.
The railway authorities have also been taking steps to improve the fast-growing west side of the city as ₹24.26-crore RuB at Hi-Tec City is awaiting fund release from the government.
Lingampalli railway station has seen improvements like station building, widening of platform, FoB, shelters and others in the recent times. Apart from Gautami Express and Cocanada Express, the Lingampalli-Indore Express has been added to the list of trains that originate from here. Plans on the anvil are extension of platform no. 4 and 5, raising the height of platform no. 2 and 3, two escalators, and raising the rail-level portion on platform no. 3.
