Cherlapally railway terminal to be ready by December 2023: Kishan Reddy

The construction of a swanky Cherlapally railway terminal would be completed by December 2023, said union Tourism Minister

Hyderabad: The construction of a swanky Cherlapally railway terminal would be completed by December 2023, said union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy here on Saturday.

Interacting with media persons after inspecting the terminal works at Cherlapally, he asked the officials of South Central Railway (SCR) to complete the works by December 2023. The SCR officials earlier informed that the works would be completed by February 2024.

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When Reddy asked authorities to complete them by December 2023, the officials responded positively. “Once the terminal is opened to the public, the traffic at the three main terminals at Secunderabad, Nampally and Kacheguda would be eased,” he said.

Explaining the importance of Cherlapally terminal, Reddy said the upcoming facility would not only reduce burden at Secunderabad, Nampally and Kacheguda stations but also meet the growing requirements of the city’s population.

The terminal’s proximity to the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and upcoming Regional Ring Road (RRR) would certainly help passengers on all fronts. Since the expansion of three terminals could not be materialized because of constraints in acquiring land, the Central government has taken up construction of Cherlapally terminal with latest technology at a cost of Rs.300 crore.

Passengers from LB Nagar, ECIL, Kushaiguda and Karimnagar among other areas can directly board a train at Cherlapally without entering the main city.

As it owns vast tracts in Cherlapally, the Central government started the terminal construction works without acquiring much land. Reddy said he wrote a letter to the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao requesting to take necessary measures to acquire land and hand it over to SCR for better road connectivity from the main entrance of Cherlapally terminal and it is in the process.

The Central government has also focused on developing Secunderabad railway station with modern facilities at a cost of over Rs.600 crore, he said, adding that the facilities would also be improved at Nampally and Kacheguda railway stations.

Plans have also been drawn up to modernize the Kazipet railway station. Referring to the Warangal railway coach overhauling unit sanctioned by the Central government, Reddy said the tenders were yet to be called for.

The unit would provide jobs to 3,000 people, he said, stating that 1300 new lines in the State would also be completed soon. Reddy said the Centre was ready to extend MMTS services to Yadadri from Ghatkesar and added that the construction of the second phase of MMTS was almost completed.

As per agreement, the State government was yet to release its share of funds to expedite the processing of buying coaches and completing the remaining pending works. Three letters were already written to the Chief Minister in this regard.

With regard to the Rs.20,000 crore RRR project, Reddy said the Central government agreed to bear 50 per cent of the land acquisition cost and a consultancy was also appointed for expediting the acquisition process. The RRR would become a game changer for Telangana after its completion, he added.