HYDERABAD: With several train services being diverted and rerouted to decongest Hyderabad and Secunderabad, commuters and rail user groups have demanded that Neredmet railway station be upgraded to allow stoppage of main line trains, citing growing inconvenience on the Sanathnagar–Ghatkesar bypass section.
As part of efforts to improve MMTS and suburban rail services, South Central Railway (SCR) has shifted the origin and termination points of several main line trains to Charlapalli. In addition, trains from Kazipet and Nalgonda bound for Nizamabad are being diverted via the newly developed RK Nagar railway station, where all services are expected to halt once a full-length platform is completed.
Several Vikarabad–Kazipet and Vikarabad–Nalgonda trains have also been diverted through the Sanathnagar–Ghatkesar bypass line. However, the lack of any station on this stretch with platforms capable of handling 24-coach trains has left passengers with few options. Commuters are being forced to travel to Charlapalli or Lingampalli to board or alight, increasing both travel time and cost.
Taking note of the issue, frequent commuters and the Long Distance Trains and MMTS Travellers Association urged SCR General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava to intervene. The association’s general secretary, Noor Ahmed Ali, who is also a member of the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee, has appealed to Union minister G Kishan Reddy, MP Eatala Rajender and Malkajgiri MLA Marri Rajasekhara Reddy to raise the matter with the Ministry of Railways.
Seeking approval for upgrading Neredmet station to permit main line train halts, the association pointed to its strong road connectivity, central location, availability of parking and easy access to public transport, which could significantly ease commuter hardship. Ali also urged the railways to provide stoppages for all express trains at Malkajgiri railway station, citing its strategic importance and heavy passenger footfall.