Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Hyderabad later this month or early March to inaugurate the new passenger terminal at Cherlapally and flag off the MMTS Phase-II suburban railway services, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy announced on Wednesday.
The minister, who is also the BJP president of Telangana, said that the Cherlapally terminal, which is spread over 50 acres and has a capacity to handle 40,000 passengers per day, will be the fourth major terminal in the twin cities after Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kacheguda. The terminal, which was built at a cost of Rs 221 crore, will cater to the passengers from the eastern and northern parts of the city and reduce the congestion at the existing terminals.
Reddy also said that the MMTS Phase-II project, which was delayed for several years due to various reasons, will be completed soon and the last remaining stretch of 12 km between Sanathnagar and Moula Ali will be ready by the end of this month. The project, which was taken up as a joint venture between the Centre and the state government, involves the extension of the suburban rail network by 104 km, covering 27 stations. The project cost has escalated from Rs 641 crore to Rs 1,040 crore due to the delay.
The minister said that the Prime Minister will flag off the new MMTS services on two routes – Secunderabad-Bolarum-Medchal (28 km) and Falaknuma-Umdanagar (13 km) – which were opened last year. He said that the MMTS Phase-II will provide better connectivity and mobility to the commuters in the city and also boost the tourism and economic activities. He added that the MMTS line will be further extended to Ghatkesar and Yadadri in the future.
Reddy also inspected the ongoing redevelopment work of the Secunderabad railway station, which is being carried out at a cost of Rs 700 crore. He said that the station will be transformed into a world-class facility with modern amenities, such as segregation of arrivals and departures, food courts, passenger lounges, disabled-friendly features, station buildings on both sides of the tracks, multi-modal integration with metro and bus stations, skywalks, 26 lifts, 32 escalators, two travelators, multi-level parking, foot over bridges, etc. He said that the station will have an airport-like look and feel and will be ready by November 2025. He also said that the Hyderabad, Kacheguda, Lingampally, Begumpet and several other stations are undergoing a makeover.
The minister appealed to the state government to cooperate with the Centre in the development of the railway infrastructure in the city and the state. He said that the state government has not paid its share of Rs 66 crore for the MMTS Phase-II project and has also not allocated additional land for Cherlapally and Moulali stations to enhance the facilities. He said that the Centre is committed to provide the best railway services to the people of Telangana and sought the support of the state government in this regard.
