Hyderabad: The Telangana government is reportedly planning to introduce free travel on Hyderabad’s Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) trains from June 2, coinciding with Telangana Formation Day, as part of a one-year pilot project, according to several news reports.
The proposal is intended for all passengers and will be implemented on a trial basis.
The state government has reportedly stated that it will compensate South Central Railway (SCR) for the existing annual ticket revenue from MMTS services, estimated at around Rs 10 crore. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has reportedly approved the initiative.
Earlier, The Hindu reported that the Telangana government had requested SCR to allow free travel on MMTS suburban trains, offering to bear the cost of ticket fares for a considerable period to promote public transport usage.
The request was made by chief secretary K Ramakrishna Rao to SCR General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava during a coordination meeting held at Rail Nilayam on April 16, attended by senior officials from both sides, the report said.
MMTS footfall
At present, MMTS services carry around 38,000 to 42,000 passengers daily, compared to over 1.2 lakh passengers before the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, about 80–88 train services are in operation, down from 121 earlier.
Senior officials from the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department have reportedly written to SCR seeking improvements in train frequency during peak hours, better punctuality, upgraded station facilities, and last-mile connectivity through TGSRTC shuttle bus services. Space at stations has also been requested for operating these services.
Telangana govt asked to submit draft MoU
SCR has reportedly asked the Telangana government to submit a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for further review and approval by the Railway Board. The railway authorities have stated that decisions regarding train numbers and timings will remain under their control, while infrastructure improvements will follow Railway Board norms.
Railway officials have also noted that Telangana has pending dues of Rs 491.45 crore related to MMTS Phase-2 and have requested that the amount be cleared.
Revanth expresses concern over declining MMTS passenger numbers
In a separate review meeting held on March 26, chief minister A Revanth Reddy expressed concern over the declining number of MMTS passengers. During the meeting, attended by Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar, chief secretary K Ramakrishna Rao, and SCR representatives, the chief minister directed officials to increase train frequency during peak office hours and ensure adherence to schedules.
He also instructed officials to explore mini-bus services to improve connectivity to MMTS stations located away from main roads and to provide adequate passenger amenities.
Officials were further asked to focus on improving last-mile connectivity and to prepare strategies to increase non-fare revenue, along with submitting a detailed report.
