Charlapalli terminal faces connectivity crunch
HYDERABAD: Passenger movement has risen sharply at Charlapalli Railway Terminal, Hyderabad’s fourth rail terminal, but poor last-mile connectivity is causing hardship for commuters.
Only one MMTS service
Around 5,000 passengers depart daily from Charlapalli to various destinations. With the redevelopment of Secunderabad railway station and ongoing works at Nampally railway station, dozens of trains have been shifted to Charlapalli. However, commuter rail and bus services have not kept pace.
At present, just one Multi Modal Transport System train operates through the day from Lingampally via Sanathnagar, Suchitra and Moulali to Charlapalli and onward to Ghatkesar leaving passengers with limited options.
Buses absent at odd hours
Despite a year since the terminal opened, local connectivity has not improved. While city buses operate between morning and evening, services are unavailable during early morning hours and after 11 pm, when several trains arrive. Commuters are forced to rely on autos and cabs, pushing up travel costs.
Passengers say reaching Charlapalli from parts of the city or travelling onward after alighting there has become difficult. Routes from areas such as Borabanda and Mehdipatnam involve long detours, leading to hours spent on buses.
More trains, same bottlenecks
Several key services now originate from Charlapalli, including the East Coast Express, Chennai Central Superfast Express, Darbhanga bi-weekly, Silchar weekly Superfast, Yeshwantpur tri-weekly Garib Rath Superfast, Tirupati Adilabad Krishna Express, Narsapur–Nagarsol Superfast, Visakhapatnam tri-weekly, and the Nagavali Superfast tri-weekly Express. Special trains are also being operated from the terminal based on demand.
Railway officials are planning to shift additional services such as the Secunderabad–Danapur Express, Howrah – Falaknuma Superfast and Dakshin Superfast to Charlapalli. Commuters say connectivity has not improved despite the phased increase in trains.
Sankranti rush
For the Sankranti season, officials have arranged 41 special trains in addition to regular services, with departures from Charlapalli towards Kakinada, Narsapuram, Machilipatnam, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam. Passengers from across the city say accessing these trains will be difficult due to limited connectivity and high cab fares.
From Panjagutta, a cab to Charlapalli costs about ₹450, an auto ₹350, and a Rapido bike up to ₹235 often higher than sleeper fares for long-distance travel, commuters noted.
Demand for more trips
Commuter groups have urged authorities to increase MMTS trips between Lingampally and Ghatkesar to at least 15 services a day and consider operating trains via Suchitra. They also said enhanced suburban rail connectivity would significantly benefit IT employees travelling during peak hours from Ghatkesar and Charlapalli to Hitec City and other hubs, cutting travel time and costs.
