Malkajgiri rail passengers struggle without toilets as station awaits inauguration

Hyderabad: The prolonged delay in inaugurating the redeveloped Malkajgiri railway station to the public has left rail passengers struggling without access to basic toilet facilities, causing significant hardships, particularly to women commuters.

Despite the redevelopment of the station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), the passenger washrooms, including those meant for women, remain unavailable for public use, as the station is not yet commissioned.

Commuters say they have been facing the inconvenience for nearly two years and have requested South Central Railway (SCR) authorities to address the issue immediately.

Women passengers are often forced to approach the station master or other railway staff and request permission to use their washrooms. In several cases, they have reportedly been left with no option but to relieve themselves in open spaces amid bushes. Male passengers, too, are answering nature’s call behind trees or in open areas at the far end of the platform.

Commuters have appealed to the SCR authorities to arrange at least one or two mobile toilets at the station until the redeveloped facility is fully commissioned and opened to the public.

Mohd Noor Ahmed Ali, General Secretary of the Train Travellers Association, requested railway authorities to open the pending passenger washrooms, particularly the ladies’ toilets, without further delay. He said women passengers had been facing considerable inconvenience for nearly two years and called for an immediate solution.

Meanwhile, rail users, appreciating the planned improvements in passenger amenities, have said essential facilities should be made available without further delay.

The SCR has reportedly been planning to organise the station’s inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. However, the proposed inauguration has not materialised over the past year, leaving passengers waiting for the station and its facilities to become fully operational.