According to a news report, the Telangana government has proposed a one-year free travel scheme on Hyderabad’s MMTS services to reduce traffic congestion and has sought South Central Railway’s approval through a draft MoU.
Hyderabad: The Telangana government is planning to introduce free travel on Hyderabad’s Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) trains from June 2, as part of a pilot project aimed at reducing traffic congestion and pollution in the city, according to a news report.
The state government has proposed implementing the scheme for all passengers, including men and women, for a period of one year on a trial basis. The proposal is expected to be launched on Telangana Formation Day and will be reviewed later based on its performance and outcomes.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has reportedly given his approval for the initiative. Senior officials, including Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, recently met South Central Railway General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava to discuss the plan. The state government has stated that it will compensate the railways for existing annual revenue from MMTS services, estimated at around ₹10 crore, regardless of changes in passenger numbers.
At present, MMTS services carry around 38,000 to 42,000 passengers daily, significantly lower than pre-COVID levels when over 1.2 lakh passengers used 121 daily services. Currently, only 80–88 train services are operating, and officials say reduced frequency and poor punctuality have affected ridership.
Senior officials from the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department have also written to South Central Railway, urging improvements in train frequency during peak hours, better punctuality, upgraded station facilities, and last-mile connectivity through RTC shuttle buses, for which space at stations has been requested.
In response, South Central Railway has asked the Telangana government to submit a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for review and approval by the Railway Board. It also clarified that decisions regarding the number of trains and their timings will remain under railway control, while infrastructure improvements will follow Railway Board norms.
The railway authorities also noted that Telangana owes ₹491.45 crore for MMTS Phase-2 and have requested clearance of the pending amount.
According to the news report, discussions are ongoing, and the final approval from the Railway Board is still awaited before implementation.
