It is connected by rail to all regions of India. About 170,000 passengers arrive at (or depart from) the station daily on 229 trains. On the Vijayawada–Wadi (the SCR's main line) and Secunderabad–Manmad railway lines, it is the zone headquarters of the South Central Railway and the headquarters of the SCR's Secunderabad Division. The station has received ISO-9001 certification for quality management in ticket booking, parcel and luggage booking and platform management.[3] Indian Railways has proposed an upgrade to a world-class station, emphasising vertical expansion.[11] It is connected to nearly all the parts of the twin cities by the Hyderabad MMTS, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation buses and the Hyderabad Metro. It is one of the top 100 booking stations in the Indian Railways.[12]
History
Nizam era
The station was proposed in 1870,[5] when the Nizam of Hyderabad MIR MEHBOOB ALI KHAN SIDDIQUI ordered to construct the secundrabad railway station, the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad state decided to connect Hyderabad State with the rest of India. Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was formed as a private company, and construction of the Secunderabad–Wadi line began that year. The line, which would connect Hyderabad with the British Raj's Great Indian Peninsula Railway main line at Wadi Junction, was funded by the Nizam.[5]
Secunderabad railway station in 1890Locomotive pulling into the station around 1928
The Secunderabad–Wadi line and the Secunderabad railway station were finished on 9 October 1874,[6] introducing railways to Hyderabad. The station's main portico and concourse were influenced by Nizam-era architecture.[10] Resembling a fort, it is a tourist attraction in the twin cities.[10] Hyderabad State took over the railway in 1879.[5] In 1871, the Secunderabad station was connected to the Singareni Collieries Company by a 146-mile (235 km) line. The Secunderabad–Wadi line was extended to Vijayawada Junction as the Vijayawada–Wadi line in 1889.[5] A broad-gauge connection between Vijayawada Junction and Chennai Central opened the following year,[5] enabling rail travel between Hyderabad and Chennai (then Madras).
The Hyderabad–Godavari Valley Railway was established in 1900 with the opening of the Manmad–Secunderabad metre-gauge line,[13] and merged into the NGSR in 1930.[13] In 1916, the Kachiguda railway station was built as NGSR headquarters and to regulate traffic at Secunderabad.[10] Diesel rail cars manufactured by Ganz were tried for the first time in Hyderabad State by the NGSR in 1939.[13]
The Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET), one of IR's six centralised training institutes, was established in Secunderabad by the Ministry of Railways on 24 November 1957.[15] to address the specialised training needs of railway staff and officers in railway signalling and telecommunications. In 1967, the Ajanta Express was introduced between Kachiguda and Manmad via Secunderabad. With an average speed of 42.5 kilometres per hour (26.4 mph), it was India's fastest metre-gauge train at the time. The Secunderabad–Vijayawada JunctionGolconda Express was introduced in 1969. The country's fastest steam train, with an average speed of 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph). it was later extended to Guntur.[15] In February 1978, the Secunderabad Division was split into two divisions: Secunderabad and Hyderabad.[10]
Although an early computerised reservation system began at Secunderabad in July 1989,[16] the 30 September 1989 introduction of SCR's computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) at the station[10] made reservations easier. The system, later linked to New Delhi (1997), Howrah (1998), Mumbai and Chennai (both 1999), preceded the CONCERT reservation system which was developed at Secunderabad in September 1994[16] and implemented in January 1995.[17]
The Secunderabad–Mahbubnagarmetre-gauge section was converted to broad gauge in 1993, breaking an important north–south metre-gauge freight connection north from Secunderabad. That year, the Secunderabad station was electrified towards Kazipet and Vijayawada Junction. The electric-locomotive shed in South Lallaguda (near the Secunderabad station), with a capacity of 100 locomotives, was built in 1995.[16]
SCR introduced the Himalaya Special freight train at Secunderabad on 7 November 2007. Intended for the high-speed transport of freight such as coal, the train was expected to run at 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph).[23] The 2008–2009 Rail Budget provided for Secunderabad to upgrade to a world-class station.[24][25] SCR's first Duronto Express, between Secunderabad and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, was flagged off by then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah at Secunderabad on 14 March 2010.[26]
Station
Platform 10 at twilight
Secunderabad is one of India's largest and busiest railway stations. The main railway terminus and a commuter hub in the Hyderabad urban area, it is one of three major stations serving the city; the other two are Kacheguda and the Hyderabad Deccan railway station.
The station is the zone headquarters of South Indian.[27] and the headquarters of the Secunderabad Division.[27] It is the busiest railway station in the state and SCR's Second-largest junction, after Vijayawada Junction. To reduce traffic at Secunderabad, the Railway Board has decided on a fourth major station in Hyderabad. There are two proposals for the new terminal: Malkajgiri and Moula-Ali.[28]
Secunderabad Station has a standard station layout. All its tracks are broad-gauge and electrified. The Secunderabad–Manmad line is non-electrified, however, so diesel trains are common.
The station has 10 platforms,[29] which are covered by a reinforced concrete roof. Each platform can handle a train with more than 24 coaches.[29] There is an additional track between platforms seven and eight, which is a service track for the Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System[30] and suburban trains (where two trains halt at the same platform, due to their short length). Platforms six and seven are divided in two (6A and B and 7A and B).
The Vijayawada–Secunderabad and Repalle–Secunderabad lines join at Bibinagar, near Secunderabad. The Vijayawada Junction–Wadi line is the only electrified line.
Service
LED display board on platform 2
The station is serviced by an average of 229 Inter-city and suburban rail trains daily. Most trains originate or terminate at Secunderabad. The Vijayawada–Wadi line, which passes through the station, is one of SCR's busiest lines. It is also an IR freight station. Its Freight Operation Information System[31] monitors freight movement.
Secunderabad is the only station in the Hyderabad MMTS to connect to all four MMTS commuter lines, and is the system's commuter inter-change hub. The station is on Lines 2[38] and 3[39] of the Hyderabad Metro. Secunderabad East metro station, on the blue line, is near Secunderabad Junction.[40]
Secunderabad Station is also the hub of suburban transit trains (push-pull trains). These DHMU's run in the non-electrified rail lines in the suburbs of the Hyderabad Urban Area. These also run in the electrified lines of MMTS).
The following Hyderabad MMTS lines originate at (or pass through) Secunderabad:
Platform 1, with a pedestrian overpass in the background
Secunderabad has a number of passenger facilities, including modern security and parking. A coach depot for cleaning and maintenance is next to the station. The area around the station is sometimes congested.[41] The station has restaurants, cafes, a coffee shop, book stalls, waiting and cloak rooms, a cyber cafe,[42] tourism agents' and train-inquiry counters, digital train-status boards, train-status announcements and foot bridges. A pharmacy has a dispensary and first-aid kit.
Three waiting rooms are at the station's north entrance, and two are at the south entrance. An air-conditioned waiting room is on platform 1, and a non-air-conditioned dormitory is on the first floor.[43][44] The air-conditioned waiting room is free of charge for passengers with air-conditioned-class tickets. The latest dormitory would supplement the existing air-conditioned dormitory with eight beds and 13 rooms, each with two beds.
Both south-entrance waiting rooms, on platform 10, are air-conditioned. Intended for upper- and second-class passengers, they have comfortable chairs and pay toilets. Nearly 11,000 passengers use the waiting rooms daily.[45]
Secunderabad is well-stocked with security equipment (including CCTVs, door-frame metal detectors and hand-held sensors) and security personnel. Forty-five fixed and pan–tilt–zoom cameras are installed throughout the station, equipped with internet-enabled digital video recorders and interconnected display monitors. The PTZ cameras can rotate 360 degrees, and have a range of one kilometre. The system is controlled at the station's Railway Protection Force post.[46]
After increasing terrorist threats,[30] SCR began baggage checks at an estimated cost of ₹40 lakh (₹4 million, or US$65,000) as part of a pilot project.[48] To increase security, railway authorities introduced an integrated security system as part of the 2009 Rail Budget.[49]
On 14 July 2008, a caller rang up the police main control room around 10:30 a.m. and said that bombs had been placed at the railway station, passport office, and a Secunderabad bus stop.[50][51][failed verification] Between 1:00 and 1:15 p.m on 15 July, four smoke bombs were said to be about to go off on platforms one, six and seven. Railway authorities immediately alerted the EMRI 108 service in what was a drill.[52]
An actual bomb threat was phoned in to the Cyberabad Metropolitan Police branch of the Hyderabad City Police on 8 October 2009,[53] which kept police in suspense for two hours. The caller, who spoke in Telugu, told a telephone operator that a bomb had been planted in the railway station and would explode within an hour. The CMP police alerted their Hyderabad counterparts, who rushed to the station and began a search for explosives. Local police, bomb-disposal squads and railway police scoured the entire station (and its trains) but found nothing, and the call was declared a hoax.
Automated parking lot
The station has a large car and motorcycle parking lot, and an auto rickshaw stand is at the station entrance. The south entrance has a taxi stand for municipal and private taxis. Secunderabad is India's first railway station with an automated parking system.[54] The lot, built at a cost of ₹6 million,[55] has a dispenser at its entrance to issue a magnetically-striped ticket with the time and date of arrival. A manual pay station is at the exit.
Secunderabad Junction has two ticket counters. Passengers can buy second- and general-class tickets on the train, since they are not reservable.[56] A computerized reservation facility is provided, and an information counter for tourists. A Passenger Operated Enquiry Terminal (POET) is available,[57] which can access the National Train Enquiry System (NTES).[57]Indrail Passes are available at the reservation center, about 200 meters from the station.
To conserve water, SCR installed a ₹12-million water-reclamation plant at the station.[58] Station maintenance, including cleaning 800 coaches, aprons and platforms, requires over 30,000 litres of water daily. With the water-recycling plant, used water is collected and sent to the plant for biological and chemical treatment. The non-drinkable, recycled water is then used to clean coaches and platforms.
Modernization of the Railway Station
The station's main entrance
2008-2014
During the 2008–09 Indian Railways budget session, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav unveiled a design to improve the two-century-old Secunderabad Junction station at an estimated cost of ₹40 billion (est.$1 billion).[59] In the 2009–10 budget hearing, Mamata Banerjee listed 50 stations (including Secunderabad) to upgrade to world-class facilities. According to the Rail Ministry, the upgrade would be similar to Roma Termini (Rome's central rail station).[60] Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy proposed developing the Gandhi Hospital land adjoining the station along the lines of Toronto's Union Station, which was developed into a major commuter terminus, a commercial hub and a parking facility.[61]
Similar to an airport, the proposed station would have a shopping mall, a food plaza, entertainment and recreation centres. The plan includes vertical expansion[11] of the station, with platforms on several floors connected by escalators and lifts. Separation of arriving and departing commuters and integration of the proposed integrated bus terminus (IBT) and metro service will be key ingredients of the upgrade. The station's current security apparatus might be overhauled. Lighting, seating areas, waiting rooms, bathrooms and Internet kiosks would be upgraded.[62]
South entrance
Since about 170,000 passengers commute through Secunderabad on 229 trains daily, the project needs to be developed with an eye to the next century;[63] Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee concurred in June 2009, when she presented the maiden 2009–10 Rail Budget.[64]
Preservationists fear that the massive upgrade may leave the heritage building a memory of a bygone era, since ₹85 million has already been spent on station improvements.[65]
A series of meetings was convened with Railway Board authorities in July 2009. It was decided to hire a consultant to sketch a master plan for the project, including facilities to be incorporated, a time frame and estimated cost. Global tenders for consultants were issued on 26 September,[63] and the successful bidder (who would have ten months to propose a master plan) would be selected on 30 October.[66] The request for tender deadline was extended to 24 December and then indefinitely, due to a lack of bidders.[67]
2014-2024
The Secunderabad Railway Station, a pivotal node in the Indian Railways network, is undergoing extensive modernization as part of the Ministry of Railways' ambitious Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. This scheme, formulated on the back of the insights and recommendations from a high-level committee established under the Modi government, aims to address the practical difficulties experienced with the Manual of Standards and Specifications for Railway Stations (MSSR 2009) issued in June 2009. [68]The committee's mandate included reviewing and updating the MSSR 2009, devising measures for optimising the redevelopment costs of stations, and establishing norms for the scale of facilities to be provided at redeveloped stations.
Under the umbrella of the Indian Railways' Major Upgradation initiative, the redevelopment of Secunderabad Railway Station is one of the key projects identified. [69]With a budget allocation of Rs. 720 crores, the project seeks to transform the station into an iconic structure that provides world-class amenities. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone for this monumental redevelopment on April 8, 2023, signifying the start of a project that aims to culminate by the end of 2025.[70]
Shri G. Kishan Reddy, the Hon’ble Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India, and the Member of Parliament representing Secunderabad, has been actively involved in overseeing the project's progress. His latest review on February 7, 2024, revealed that 20%-25% of the planned works had already been completed. Shri G Kishan Reddy highlighted the installation of 26 lifts, 32 escalators, and 2 travelators as part of the station's upgradation. Emphasis has also been placed on enhancing passenger convenience through multi-modal connectivity to east and west metro stations and the bus station.[71]
The redevelopment project boasts several salient features aimed at enhancing the travel experience:
Iconic Station Building: Designed with a future horizon of 40-60 years, the station will serve as a landmark with its aesthetic and functional design.
Future-Proof Facilities: The project plans for an extended horizon, ensuring facilities are in place to manage a peak hour traffic of 25,000 passengers and accommodate surges up to 325,000 passengers during special events like Melas.
Expansion of Station Building Area: The proposed station building area is significantly expanded to 61,912 sqm from the existing 11,427 sqm, facilitating a broader range of services and amenities.
Spacious Roof Plaza/Concourse: Measuring 108m x 120m, this double-level area will host all passenger amenities, alongside retail spaces, cafeterias, and recreational facilities, effectively connecting both sides of the station and all platforms.
Integration and Accessibility: Ensuring seamless integration of both city sides and improved accessibility with 26 lifts, 2 travelators, and 32 escalators.
Enhanced Passenger Experience: The project focuses on segregating arriving and departing passengers, decluttering platforms, and providing comprehensive facilities for the differently-abled.
Direct Connectivity: Enhancements include direct connectivity to the East & West Metro Stations and Rathifile Bus Station, fostering an integrated transport hub.
Multilevel Car Parking and Segregation: To further streamline the passenger experience, the project introduces multilevel car parking at the North Terminal. This feature, along with the strategic segregation of arriving and departing passengers, optimises flow and convenience.
Sustainability and Safety: The station will feature certified green buildings, solar energy utilisation, water conservation/recycling, comprehensive CCTV coverage, and access control for enhanced safety.[72]
The initiative reflects a significant leap towards modernising India's railway infrastructure, promising to elevate the standards of passenger comfort, safety, and convenience, while also bolstering the country's commitment to sustainable development.
Indian Railways and Hyderabad MMTS station
10% ([7][8])
