New Delhi: Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha recently about a major overhaul in Telangana’s railway infrastructure, highlighting the introduction of 34 new pairs of train services and a sharp acceleration in track construction over the past decade.

Enhanced Passenger Services

According to the Ministry, the 34 new pairs of trains originating or terminating in Telangana include premium services aimed at modernising travel in the region.

This includes five pairs of Vande Bharat Express services connecting Secunderabad and Kacheguda to key cities such as Nagpur, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Yeswantpur. Additionally, three pairs of Amrit Bharat services have been introduced, linking Charlapalli to destinations like Muzaffarpur, Thiruvananthapuram and Nagercoil.

The Ministry also highlighted the expansion of regional connectivity through various DEMU, MEMU and MMTS services, along with the extension of eight existing train routes to further national destinations such as Hisar and Puducherry between 2020 and 2026.

Unprecedented Infrastructure Growth

The reply indicates a significant surge in infrastructure investment. The average annual budget allocation for railway projects in Telangana has increased from ₹886 crore during 2009–14 to ₹5,337 crore for 2025–26.

This funding has directly boosted track construction. Between 2014 and 2025, 774 km of new track was commissioned, averaging 70.4 km per year, more than four times the annual rate of 17.4 km recorded between 2009 and 2014. As of April 2025, 20 railway projects (six new lines and 14 doubling projects), covering 2,166 km, are currently sanctioned at an estimated cost of ₹35,045 crore.

Major Projects and Future Plans

Several key projects have recently been completed, including the 178-km Peddapalli–Nizamabad new line and Phase II of the Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS). Looking ahead, the government has sanctioned a Final Location Survey (FLS) for a 536-km Outer Ring Rail project along the periphery of Hyderabad’s Regional Ring Road.

Land Acquisition Challenges

Despite the progress, the Minister noted that several critical projects are facing delays. Currently, 33% of the required land (764 hectares) for major projects has yet to be acquired by the state government. Projects such as the Guntur–Bibinagar doubling and the Manoharabad–Kothapalli new line have been specifically cited as being delayed due to pending land acquisition.

The Ministry emphasised that while expansion is ongoing, the timely completion of these projects depends on state-level clearances, forest approvals and the resolution of land acquisition issues. DeshGujarat