Hyderabad plans three mega railway terminals
HYDERABAD: Hyderabad is set to get three mega railway terminals designed to handle the city’s passenger traffic for the next 50 years, with the South Central Railway (SCR) moving towards the next stage of the proposal.
The SCR is preparing to conduct final location surveys for three proposed terminals at Nagulapalli near Kollur, Jukal near Shamshabad and Dabirpura near Medchal. The surveys are aimed at finalising the locations and taking the proposals from the planning stage towards implementation.
Nagulapalli proposed as India’s third-largest station
Nagulapalli, located near the Outer Ring Road on the western side of the city, is proposed to be developed over 325-600 acres. The terminal is planned with 30 platforms, 14 reception/departure lines and 24 stabling lines.
Once completed, Nagulapalli is proposed to become the third-largest railway station in the country after Howrah and Sealdah.
The terminal is expected to serve passengers travelling towards Mumbai, Pune and parts of Karnataka. It would also provide a western gateway for people working in the IT corridor, reducing the need to travel into the core city to board trains.
Jukal to serve southern routes
The Jukal terminal, proposed near the airport, is planned over about 300 acres. It is expected to become a major station for trains operating towards Bengaluru, Tirupati, Chennai and other destinations.
The proposal includes railway lines and 30 stabling lines. The terminal is expected to rank among the country’s larger railway terminals.
Dabirpura planned as northern gateway
The Dabirpura terminal is proposed beyond Medchal, towards northern Telangana, near Manoharabad railway junction. It is planned over about 200 acres and is expected to handle trains arriving from Nizamabad, Nanded, Sirsi, Delhi and other long-distance destinations.
Integrated maintenance facilities for coaching depots have also been proposed at a cost of ₹2,887 crore.
The three terminals are expected to require between 1,450 and 1,550 acres, according to the proposal. Railway officials have already asked the state government to make arrangements for acquiring 1,125 acres for the projects. The final location survey could increase the total land requirement to about 1,900 acres.
Railway Board to approve survey
The SCR has proposed the three terminals as part of a railway ring-terminal network connecting the city’s major railway lines.
The Railway Board has expressed some support for the proposal. The SCR has now written to the board seeking approval to conduct the final location survey.
The survey is expected to be approved within the coming month, irrespective of the budget process. The Railway Board is likely to invite tenders to identify the agency for conducting the survey.
The survey is expected to be completed by March, along with preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The DPR will provide greater clarity on the project cost.
The preliminary estimate puts the cost of the three terminals at around ₹1,500 crore, though the final figure will be known after preparation of the DPR.
Terminals aimed at easing pressure on city stations
Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kachiguda are currently the city’s major railway stations. Their expansion is constrained by the availability of land, leading to increasing pressure on existing infrastructure.
The SCR had earlier developed the Charlapalli terminal by expanding the existing station. However, the railway has now proposed terminals larger than Charlapalli and connected to the city’s major railway lines.
The three proposed terminals are also planned to function as railway ring terminals. Once operational, they are expected to allow more trains to be introduced while reducing the need for long-distance trains to enter the city’s core areas.
Passengers could travel from the terminals to the city using the Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) and Metro services.
A senior railway official said the project would change Hyderabad’s transport network and help meet the city’s traffic demand for the next 50 years.
SCR chief briefs chief secretary
SCR general manager Srivastava met state Chief Secretary Sanjay Raja on Monday and discussed railway projects being taken up jointly by the railways and the state government.
During the meeting, Srivastava explained the progress made on the three proposed terminals.
As the SCR has written to the Railway Board seeking approval for the final location survey, the general manager also asked the state government to make arrangements for acquiring the land required at the proposed terminal locations.
The SCR is expected to prepare the detailed project reports after the survey, which will provide further clarity on the final locations, land requirement and project cost.
