Malkajgiri station revamp precedes plan for six-line terminal

South Central Railway plans to develop Malkajgiri railway station in Hyderabad into a major terminal hub by adding three lines and expanding its platform infrastructure. The proposed work is intended to increase the station’s capacity and ease congestion at Kacheguda. The station has been redeveloped at a cost of ₹27.61 crore under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and is expected to be opened soon.

Improvements include a new entrance facade on the Platform-3 side, an upgraded booking office, new flooring and passenger lounges. Flooring work on the island platforms serving Platforms 1 and 2 was still under way on Saturday, while work had been completed on Platform 3. Lifts and escalators installed on all three platforms had not yet been commissioned.

Under the expansion plan, two additional lines will be laid from the Lallaguda side, next to Platform 3. The existing platform will be narrowed to accommodate them. Another line is planned alongside Platform 1, together with a new platform.

Once the work is completed, the station is expected to have four platforms and six lines, including two loop lines. South Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer A. Sridhar said the aim was to make Malkajgiri a major destination point and reduce pressure on Kacheguda.

The track expansion project is estimated to cost about ₹42 crore and is expected to take around a year and a half. Railway officials said existing redevelopment structures would not be affected, although tiles laid for disabled access would be affected during construction. Some officials said better coordination could have avoided duplication of expenditure and argued that major infrastructure projects should be planned with a 20- to 25-year perspective.