HYDERABAD: As the Hyderabad Metro’s Phase-II project works gain pace, the proposal to extend the existing Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) line from Umdanagar to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has resurfaced as a potential and economical solution for improved connectivity.
Earlier, under the MMTS Phase-II initiative, the South Central Railway (SCR) had envisaged seamless rail access to the airport from Umdanagar. The plan aimed to enable passengers to reach the airport directly by train, subject to GMR authorities allocating the required stretch of land for the rail link.
However, during project execution, particularly the doubling and electrification works, GMR offered only three kilometres of land, against the six kilometres needed for the full link. This partial allocation meant passengers would still have to rely on costly alternative travel options to cover the remaining distance, making the plan unviable.
According to a railway official, despite repeated efforts by the then SCR general manager and several rounds of discussions with both the state government and GMR, the Rs 85-crore proposal for direct rail connectivity had to be shelved.
Umdanagar connects travellers across the city to the airport through MMTS, with 22 daily trains operating to and from the station. It currently handles 1,800 to 2,000 passengers daily. Recognising its strategic role, the station is undergoing a Rs 12.37 crore renovation under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme to upgrade passenger amenities and infrastructure.
Now, railway unions have renewed their appeal to GMR authorities and the state government to facilitate the project. They argue that like in Delhi, an electrified rail link to the airport would provide passengers from across the city with a cost-effective and efficient travel option, significantly easing road congestion while supporting eco-friendly public transport.
Speaking to TNIE, ZRUCC member and Long Trains & MMTS Travellers Association president Noor Ahmed Ali recalled that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, during his tenure as a Member of Parliament, had strongly backed airport rail connectivity. “He had urged the then-TRS government to release both land and funds to make the project a reality,” he added.