MPs place big wish list for railways

Hyderabad: MPs from in and around Hyderabad on Wednesday requested railway officials to extend the MMTS services up to Yadadri and Vikarabad, both about 70 kms from the city.

 

They wanted the South Central Railway to expedite the development of mega-terminals at Cherlapalli and Vattinagulapalli. Hitec City, Malkajgiri and Moula Ali stations should be developed with more platforms so that trains can be diverted there.

 

This will help in reducing the load on Secunderabad and Hyderabad, they said.

 

Ahead of the upcoming Railway Budget, 15 MPs attended a meeting convened by SCR general manager Ravindra Gupta. The SCR has a tradition of taking the opinions of MPs in the run-up to the Rail Budget. Mr Gupta will meet MPs from AP on Thursday in Vijayawada.

 

The MPs who met Mr Gupta on Wednesday included those from the areas in Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka which are in the jurisdiction of SCR.

 

Telangana MPs wanted Mr Gupta to write to the Railway Board to sanction new railway lines, widening and construction of road over and under bridges at railway crossings and speeding up of sanctioned projects. 

 

Bhongir MP, N. Narsaiah Goud and his counterpart from Chevella Mr Konda Vishweshwar Reddy wanted MMTS to be extended up to Yadagirigutta and Vikarabad respectively. 

 

“Railways should improve passenger amenities at all the railway stations irrespective of its earnings,” Mr Goud said.

 

Mr Vishweshwar Reddy said more funds should be allocated to Telangana to complete ongoing and pending railway infrastructure projects. Malkajgiri MP Malla Reddy said all level crossings in Hyderabad should be provided with road over or under bridges, particularly the Safilguda crossing.

 

Nagarkurnool MP Nandi Yellaiah wanted a new line connecting Gadwal and Macherla, work speeded up on doubling the Secunderabad-Mahbub-nagar rail line and stoppage of the Telangana and Rajdhani Express trains at Moula Ali. He also sought escalators at the Nampally station.

 

Mr Vinod Kumar wanted a new line between Karimnagar and Mumbai. He wanted the Peddapalli-Nizamabad rail line which was started 25 years ago to be completed.

 

TRS Lok Sabha floor leader A.P. Jithender Reddy on Wednesday criticised South Central Railway officials for convening meetings with MPs without any authority to even permit stoppage of trains.

 

Congress MP, G. Sukhender Reddy walked out stating that he was not getting proper replies on the Nalgonda-Macherla rail line project pending for 18 years. 

 

Mr Jithender Reddy said rail officials should convene such meetings in the presence of an authorised member of the Railway Board who can take decisions, after coming out of the meeting convened by SCR general manager, Ravindra Gupta.

 

“For most of our requests, the GM said  the Railway Board or the Railway Minister is authorised to take a decision. If possible, Union Minister of State for Railways can attend these meetings,” he said.

 

On the doubling of Secunderabad-Mahbubnagar rail line, he said the Railways have given the contract to RVNL. “I am against it. RVNL has a bad reputation.”