No trains from Bolarum to Secunderabad despite electrification

HYDERABAD: While Phase-2 MMTS works are on in full swing and the electrification works have been completed on Bolarum and Secunderabad section, the SCR is unable to run MMTS trains due to a shortage of rakes and low level platforms.

Noor Ahmed Ali, General Secretary of Suburban Train and Bus Travellers Association and member of Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee, told TOI that though the electrification works have been completed on the Bolarum-Secunderabad section, the SCR is unable to run MMTS trains due to shortage of rakes and low level platforms as pointed out by the commissioner of railway safety.”

Noor added that the electrification works between Bolarum and Secunderabad were estimated to cost around Rs 30 crore. Even after spending a huge amount, there is no certainty as to when train services will be introduced.

SCR has taken up MMTS Phase- II project for a distance of 84 km on the Secunderabad-Moula Ali-Ghatkesar, Secunderabad-Bolarum-Medchal, Falaknuma – Umdanagar – Shamshabad Airport, Moula Ali-Sanathnagar, Moula Ali-Malkajgiri-Sitafalmandi and Telapur-Ramchandrapuram routes.

“Five new stations are being constructed. As per the initial agreement, it is a cost-sharing project i.e 1/3rd of the cost will be borne by SCR and 2/3rd of the cost will be borne by the state government. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 816 crore, accordingly, the railway share works out to Rs 272 crore while the state government’s share is Rs 544 crore. So far, Railways has invested around Rs 580 crore. RVNL is the executing agency of the project. The president has given consent for execution of works in Defense land on Moula Ali – Sanathnagar section, but the airport connectivity issue is yet to be sorted out by the state government with GMR authorities. Electrification of railway line between existing double-line section i.e., Malkajgiri-Bolarum was commissioned in March 2018,”

The SCR said that 70 per cent of the MMTS Phase-II works spread across different sections of Tellapur –Ramchandrapuram, Moula Ali – Ghatkesar and Medchal-Bolarum have been completed, while works on the Falaknuma-Umdanagar section are in progress.