Daily rail passengers and members of a travel association in Hyderabad have submitted a representation to the new State government, requesting the release of pending funds for the MMTS phase II project. The project has been pending for many years and residents of the north-eastern part of the city are eagerly waiting for the train services to begin. However, due to a lack of funds, the project is progressing slowly.
Members of the Suburban Train Travelers’ Association and rail users have been submitting letters to the government for several years, but their requests have been ignored. The president of the association, Noor Ahmed, explained that the phase II works have been progressing slowly since 2014 because of delays in fund release by the government. The launch of phase II services will benefit many people and reduce traffic congestion in the city. In addition, the Airport Express Metro Corridor-IV project is also underway, and it would be helpful if spare land could be allotted for a six-kilometer railway track from Umdanagar to the airport to avoid traffic jams on roads.
A daily rail passenger named M Krishna expressed that commuters in the northeastern parts of the city are eagerly waiting for the commissioning of the phase II services as they have been deprived of proper connectivity. Suburban trains are a cheaper mode of transportation compared to other options. Therefore, it is crucial for the government to release the pending amount immediately.
According to a senior SCR officer, the MMTS phase II project is a cost-sharing project between the railways and the State government. The railways are responsible for one-third of the cost, while two-thirds are to be met by the government. The initial estimated cost of the project is Rs. 816 crore, with the railways contributing Rs. 272 crore and the government contributing Rs. 544 crore. So far, Rs. 835 crore has been spent on the project, but the government has only deposited Rs. 379 crore instead of the required Rs. 760 crore. This delay in contributing the government’s share has resulted in the slow progress of the project.
