HYDERABAD: Two or three more railway rakes will augment the services of Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) trains in the city and outskirts in the next five months.
Presently, seven rakes operate 87 services and more rakes are being added in view of the growth in passenger traffic. The average number of passengers using MMTS each day has grown from 15,000 in 2003 – the year in which it was launched – to 81,000 now, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was informed on Monday at a joint meeting of railways and the State Government officials.
Briefing reporters later, J.N. Jagannath, Chief Operations Manager of South Central Railway (SCR), said the meeting reviewed the running of the MMTS trains and identified some bottlenecks.
Dr. Reddy asked the railways to issue rail-cum-bus tickets within 15 days. The combined ticket might work out to Rs. 400 a month. The SCR and AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) could share the cost equally.
Bus connectivity
On a representation by the railways for feeder roads and bus connectivity at MMTS stations, Dr. Reddy asked the APSRTC higher-ups to ensure need-based bus services even if they were not profitable initially. Mr. Jagannath said the second phase project involved extension of services to Bhongir, Shamshabad airport, Bolarum and Medchal. The existing bypass track from Moulali to Sanathnagar, which now catered to goods trains, would also be upgraded. The State Government would bear two-thirds of the project cost of Rs. 385 crore.
The meeting decided to nominate two senior officers of railways and RTC to monitor the services on a daily basis.
Mr. Jagannath added that the revenue of Rs. 2.81 lakh a day on MMTS services was not economically viable.APSRTC Managing Director V. Dinesh Reddy, Commissioner of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation C.V.S.K. Sarma, and Government Advisor Stanley Babu attended the meeting.
Source : The Hindu
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