The Begumpet station is being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat and Modern Railway Stations initiative to improve passenger amenities and infrastructure.
Announcing the decision here on Saturday, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy expressed happiness over Telangana securing a world-class research institute, which will focus on research, development and training related to Kavach technology. Kavach has already been deployed as a pilot project over 1,548 route km (rkm) across key corridors, and work is progressing on important routes such as Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah.
Kishan Reddy also revealed that the Indian Railways had undertaken modernisation works worth Rs 5,337 crore in Telangana, with another Rs 39,300 crore worth of projects in progress. These include doubling of tracks, new line works, and laying of additional lines, among others.
Kavach, developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), is a cab signalling train control system equipped with anti-collision features.
The system automatically applies brakes if a train overspeeds or ignores signals and provides real-time signal display, emergency communication, and automatic braking mechanisms. Kavach conforms to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards and uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags installed along tracks and station yards to monitor train movement and direction. Highlighting the government's efforts to improve railway safety, Kishan Reddy noted that 453 underpasses and flyovers have been completed across Telangana since the Modi government came to power to prevent accidents at railway crossings.
The minister has reviewed the ongoing works at Begumpet Railway Station. He said that works worth Rs 26 crore
He noted that Telangana is already operating five Vande Bharat trains, and more services are being planned. To reduce congestion at Secunderabad station, new train services from Cherlapally Railway Station are on the anvil. The modernisation of Cherlapally station, undertaken at a cost of Rs 715 crore, is expected to be completed by next year. Additionally, Nampally Railway Station's modernisation works, costing Rs 327 crore, are underway.
Kishan Reddy urged the Telangana state government to prioritise the development of approach roads to Cherlapally Railway Station, ensuring better accessibility for passengers.
