The station that trains pass by: R.K. Nagar’s long wait for a stop
Radha Krishna Nagar (RK Nagar) railway station was envisioned as a key addition to Hyderabad’s expanding suburban rail infrastructure. Opened last year, the station was
Radha Krishna Nagar (RK Nagar) railway station was envisioned as a key addition to Hyderabad’s expanding suburban rail infrastructure. Opened last year, the station was expected to serve as a convenient rail access point for thousands of residents living in the adjacent colonies while enabling select express trains to bypass the crowded Secunderabad–Malkajgiri section en route to Kazipet. South Central Railway (SCR) had even announced that six express trains would halt at the station. Services such as the Krishna Express to Tirupati and trains bound for Narsapur, Nagarsol, Visakhapatnam, Nanded and Shirdi were rerouted through the corridor. These trains travel from the Bibinagar side towards Bolarum via the Cherlapalli–Moula Ali Cabin–Safilguda chord line, avoiding Secunderabad altogether. However, a crucial operational hurdle emerged just before the proposed halts were to be finalised. During an inspection, senior railway officials found that RK Nagar’s lone platform could accommodate only 18 coaches, while the diverted express services typically operate with 22 to 24 coaches. The mismatch raised safety and operational concerns, forcing authorities to reconsider the plan. Railways subsequently decided to extend the platform, but the work soon hit another obstacle. According to officials, nearby power transmission lines and poles had to be relocated before construction could proceed.
Telangana Transco reportedly informed railway authorities that the shifting of electrical infrastructure could only be taken up after the summer season. As a result, the station currently remains without any scheduled train halts, even though several express trains continue to pass through it every day. “The trains pass right in front of us, but none of them stop,” says Bharadwaj, a private-sector employee and resident of the locality. The absence of train services has left residents frustrated. Passengers living around RK Nagar are often forced to rely on RTC buses, autorickshaws or cabs to reach Cherlapalli or other stations. This adds anywhere between one and three hours to their journey and increases travel costs by ₹400 to ₹1,500, depending on the destination and mode of transport, he says.. The situation becomes even more intriguing when one considers the station’s immediate neighbourhood. RK Nagar is located alongside Dayanandnagar Railway Station, which already has two platforms and serves MMTS suburban trains. Around 10 local services stop there daily. Residents recall that there had once been a proposal to name the new station “Dayanandnagar East”, creating an east-west station pair. However, the idea reportedly failed to gain traction. “There was a concern that people would be confused by Dayanandnagar East and Dayanandnagar West when booking cabs or autos,” says Mr. Bharadwaj.
The BriefWire