2 months ago
1
South Central Railway (SCR) has the uncommon favoritism of hosting pairs of “twin stations”- stations that stock the aforesaid name, beryllium lone a abbreviated region apart, yet beryllium astatine antithetic elevations and service wholly antithetic purposes.
The archetypal of these doppelgangers lies connected either broadside of Secunderabad: Lallaguda and Lallaguda Gate stations. Lallaguda Gate station, located connected the Secunderabad-Malkajgiri-Nizamabad route, is simply a acquainted halt for regular suburban commuters travelling betwixt Malkajgiri-Medchal.
A small away, connected the Secunderabad-Kazipet line, sits the different Lallaguda, a presumption with nary bid halts oregon commercialized activity. It functions purely arsenic an operational outpost, a signalling constituent that helps modulate the question of trains crossed a engaged corridor.
If the Lallaguda presumption twins are unusual, the Ammuguda duo pushes the envelope adjacent further arsenic some stations not lone person the aforesaid sanction but besides autumn nether the aforesaid Hyderabad Division.
The ‘older’ Ammuguda station, dating backmost to the Nizam State Railway and located connected the Kacheguda-Nizamabad line, continues to service arsenic a regular halt for MMTS and suburban services towards Medchal, Secunderabad and Lingampally.
A caller operating station, besides called Ammuguda, was opened betwixt Moula Ali and Sanatnagar stations erstwhile a chord enactment was built to bypass the engaged Secunderabad junction station. This was for freight trains to determination straight onto the Vikarabad-Mumbai way coming from the Kazipet side, according to apical railway officials.
Explaining the relation of specified operational outposts, elder officials said: “These stations bash not person ticketing counters, bid halts oregon rider amenities. Their intent is to grip artifact signalling placed betwixt 2 stations astir 10-12 km isolated to guarantee harmless bid movement”.
Until recently, this ‘new’ Ammuguda presumption was simply an operational constituent connected the Secunderabad-Moula Ali chord enactment till it was doubled and electrified nether MMTS signifier two. It present has a presumption maestro and has go a halt presumption for MMTS suburban trains connecting Secunderabad-Medchal-Lingampally sections 2 years ago.
A presumption of the duplicate obstruction corridors adjacent Ammuguda, showing the caller Ammuguda presumption connected the Ghatkesar–Sanathnagar enactment alongside the existing Ammuguda presumption connected the Malkajgiri–Bolarum section. | Photo Credit: G. Ramakrishna
However, dissimilar the Lallaguda pair, the 2 Ammuguda stations person triggered genuine disorder among some passengers and ticket-issuing unit peculiarly erstwhile commuters bash not specify the route.
“We person MMTS services successful the greeting and evening connected 2 antithetic routes. If a rider doesn’t notation which Ammuguda helium is travelling to, helium whitethorn onshore astatine the incorrect one. Staff besides request to double-check earlier issuing a ticket,” said MMTS Travellers Association caput Noor Ahmed Ali.
Passenger groups person demanded that railway authorities see renaming either of the Ammuguda stations to Vivekanandapuram for clarity considering the geographical location.
Railway authorities, however, importune the strategy is wide capable due to the fact that the 2 Ammuguda suburban stations prevarication connected antithetic routes, and the ticketing depends chiefly connected presumption codes: LGDH for Lallaguda Gate, LGD for Lallaguda (operational), AMQ for the ‘old’ Ammuguda presumption and AMGU for the ‘new’ one.
Yet, officials admit that introducing a caller halt with the aforesaid sanction has led to commuter challenges. Interestingly, some Lallaguda Gate and the caller Ammuguda stations are located connected elevated lines positioned supra their duplicate stations connected people level.
There has besides been different station-related twist, this 1 successful the Nanded Division a fewer years ago. At Penuganga station, the railways did the reverse, removing the operational information of the halt presumption arsenic 2 different equidistant artifact signalling stations were redeeming important costs portion retaining the commercial/passenger services.
“Initially, determination were protests due to the fact that passengers thought the presumption itself was being unopen down. But erstwhile we explained that lone the block-signalling information was being removed and trains would proceed to halt astatine the station, they calmed down,” recalled SCR Chief Public Relations Officer A. Sridhar.
