South Central Railway plans four-line expansion in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: South Central Railway has drawn up plans to expand a key railway line in the heart of Hyderabad. At present, a two-line track runs from Sanathnagar to Secunderabad and onward to Moulali cabin. The railway has proposed to increase it to four lines to meet future requirements and has conveyed the plan to the state government.

The stretch from Sanathnagar to Moulali is about 21 km. South Central Railway has recently requested the state government to notify a 20-metre zone on both sides of the track as a "special railway zone" to facilitate land acquisition whenever expansion work is undertaken.

Congestion delays trains near city outskirts

Currently, the two-line section causes congestion as trains from different parts of the country heading to Secunderabad halt for long durations on the city outskirts. Trains from Warangal and Guntur move quickly until Charlapalli but slow down thereafter. While the Ghatkesar–Charlapalli section already has four lines, bottlenecks emerge as trains enter the twin-line stretch. This creates delays for both passenger and freight trains.

Railway officials said expansion to four lines is essential to manage growing traffic in the future. Projections have been made for traffic volume up to 2047.

Impact of ‘special railway zone’

Once the stretch is notified as a "special railway zone," land within 20 metres on either side of the track can only be used for railway purposes. Private constructions will not be permitted in this corridor. During expansion, the railway will acquire the required land and pay compensation to landowners. Officials admitted that existing houses within this corridor will be affected once work begins.