Hyderabad: Here’s some happy news for commuters of Hyderabad city who day in and day out go through an arduous journey to travel between their homes and places of work. In order to give a makeover and increase the efficacy of the services, the South Central Railway has introduced new MMTS trains on Wednesday that boast of increased room, more compartments, and heightened security apparatus.

They key features of these new locomotives include: 12 compartments replacing the existing nine bogies and installation of CCTV cameras in compartments to cut down on crime. In a special function in the city on Wednesday, the railway authorities flagged off two new locomotives, with remaining expected to get on to the rails soon.

As a result, the new trains will make room for 1,150 passengers to sit and 4,000 to stand as against the existing 700 seating capacity and room for 2000 passengers to stand in nine compartment trains. CCTV cameras and LED screens displaying the information about stations and other information will now serve the passengers better.

Although the Metro has eased the passengers’ woes to a greater extent, given its popularity among regular office-goers, but the attraction for MMTS services remain intact. According to estimates released by the South Central Railway, as many as 1.70 lakh opt for MMTS services on a daily basis. Currently, 121 services are operated daily between Secunderabad and Nampally; Secunderabad – Falakunama; Secunderabad – Lingampally; Falakunama – Lingampally.

The new locomotives are a result of feedback the South Central Railway received from the passengers. The passengers said more would be willing to opt for MMTS if number of compartments is increased and punctuality of services is maintained. “Considering the response from the passengers, we will increase the number of compartments for every train to 12,” South Central Railway public relations’ officer Ch. Rakesh said.

Officials at the South Central Railway said they were also considering slashing the ticket prices and increasing the distance covered by MMTS trains in the future.

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