MMTS users seek improved services, smaller rakes and revised timetable

The inspection of Lingampally and Ramachandrapuram stations by South Central Railway (SCR) General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava on Saturday has rekindled hope among commuters for improved MMTS suburban train services.

While the General Manager remained non-committal on increasing the number of MMTS services, he told media persons that the visit was aimed at assessing available passenger amenities, reviewing ongoing infrastructure works, and examining the feasibility of introducing additional suburban as well as long-distance train services.

The Suburban Trains Travellers Association also appealed to railway authorities to take immediate steps to strengthen MMTS train services in view of the prevailing fuel crisis and the growing demand for public transport among daily commuters.

The association said the existing suburban train schedules were not commuter-friendly due to inconvenient timings. It suggested that the frequency of MMTS services should be increased to once every 30 minutes by optimising available resources. It also proposed reducing rake composition from nine or 12 coaches to six coaches to facilitate more frequent services.

Further, the association recommended that all passenger trains be provided halts at suburban stations to enable long-distance passengers to reach their nearest destinations conveniently.

Association general secretary and Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) member Noor Ahmed Ali suggested convening a joint meeting of SCR officials from both Secunderabad and Hyderabad divisions along with representatives of passengers’ associations. The meeting, he said, should review the current situation and work out a revised timetable.

He pointed out that providing halts for select express trains at key suburban stations such as Malkajgiri, Hi-Tech City and Bolarum, and ensuring that all trains stop at Cherlapalli station, would significantly improve accessibility for commuters.

Several south-bound trains originating from Kacheguda railway station in the early morning hours do not have connecting local/MMTS services for passengers from surrounding areas. Provision of halts for trains such as Tungabhadra Express, Rayalaseema Express, and Jaipur–Kurnool Express at Malkajgiri station would substantially reduce congestion at Secunderabad and Kacheguda stations, he observed.

The association also thanked Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for advising officials to improve MMTS services in the twin cities with the objective of providing affordable and efficient public transport, particularly for the poor. It urged the Chief Minister to release pending MMTS Phase-II dues of about ₹380 crore to SCR and to pursue the proposed airport rail link from Umdanagar station.