Gautamnagar level crossing in Malkajgiri has turned into nightmare for commuters. Gates often shut for up to an hour during peak times. Why? More MMTS suburban trains,long-distance passenger and freight trains inch through,slowing down at congested Secunderabad Railway Station .
Local residents fed up . Gates close 15 to 45 minutes each time,causing traffic chaos on both sides. Sudhakar Kanakamedala,a resident, said,"Either they should expedite proposed RUB or close this forever." With few alternatives, commuters take longer routes,spilling vehicles into narrow lanes. Emergency services struggle to get through,and daily commutes drag on.
Gautamnagar sits between Malkajgiri and Dayanandnagar stations. More trains at Dayanandnagar mean more gate closures. Hari,another local,noted gates stay closed till trains clear a curve near Dayanandnagar,worsening delays .
Efforts to fix this have been slow. Noor Ahmed Ali from Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee pushes for Limited Height Subway (LHS). His proposal hit delays, mainly land acquisition issues. Local reps know the problem, hope for faster progress.
South Central Railway (SCR) officials admit Malkajgiri's position is tricky. It's surrounded by three major lines from Secunderabad . A senior SCR official said they work with municipal authorities to build Road Under Bridges (RUBs) and Road Over Bridges (ROBs) where possible .
But, lack of coordination between municipal and railway authorities stalls progress. An RTI inquiry by activist Robin Zaccheus showed only 51% of 211 RUB and ROB projects in Telangana are done. Remaining projects face land acquisition issues,funding shortages, design problems .
Delays hit 82 ROBs,129 RUBs at spots like Safilguda and Ghatkesar-Bibinagar. Now,38 projects under construction,tenders done for 18, while 32 stalled over land snags. Fifteen delayed for other reasons .
Zaccheus warns of risks at level crossings in crowded areas,especially for kids . He noted environmental impact too,as drivers waste fuel waiting. Funding hit when Telangana government pulled out of cost-sharing in May 2024,leaving Railways to bear full cost.
This shift meant revised timelines, more delays. Within railways, no single authority oversees these projects, complicating things. Zaccheus calls for a joint task force to monitor progress, ensure timely work, standardize designs.
Despite hurdles,hope for Gautamnagar. Proposed RUB project set to start soon, with SCR Chief Public Relations Officer A . Sridhar confirming design approval from municipal authorities. Tendering underway for ₹34 crore project,including ₹10 crore for utility relocation. Pushing to speed up other pending works too…
