Telangana govt urges Prabhu to extend MMTS service

The MMTS services in & around Hyderabad have become very popular & currently phase 2 of the project is under implementation

Telangana government has requested Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to include the extension of the Hyderabad multi modal transport system (MMTS) services from Ghatkesar on the city outskirts to Raigir near the temple town of Yadadri on a cost sharing basis in the ensuing railway budget.

The state government has offered to bear two thirds of the estimated Rs 330 crore cost for the project. The government intends to strengthen the transport facilities for Yadadri as it has already finalising a master plan to develop this pilgrimage center to the status of Tirupati of Telangana.

The government has already acquired 2,000 acres of land for developing the whole area on the lines of Tirupati with all the amenities for pilgrims. 

MMTS services in and around Hyderabad have become very popular and currently phase 2 of the project is under implementation. One of the streteches of phase 2 project is being developed begtween Securderabad railway station and Ghatkesar covering a 21 km distance and is expected to be ready in 2016-17. The government is asking for the extension of the MMTS by another 32 km upto Raigir station, which was also proposed to be renamed as Yadadri after the abode of Narasimha Swamy.

" At the current initial stage of implementation of Yadadri Temple Development Authority's master plan, daily about 20,000 people are visiting Yadadri from the city during the week days and between 40,000-50,000 people during weekends. Once gthe master plan is fully implemented in the next few years, the pilgrim passengers going from Hyderabad to  Yadadri is expected to cross 1 lakh per day," Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao said in a letter addressed to the Railway Minister, while adding that the extension of MMTS was an urgent need on this stretch. 

The proposed extension will also be beneficial for the Indian Railways, since laying of an additional line will substantially augment the line capacity and help the Railways to run more passenger and goods trains on this important Secunderabad-Kazipet section of Secuderabad-New Delhi corridor, according to Rao.