A view of the twin rail corridors near Ammuguda, showing the new Ammuguda station on the Ghatkesar–Sanathnagar line next to the existing Ammuguda station on the Malkajgiri–Bolarum section. | Photo credit: G. Ramakrishna
The South Central Railway (SCR) has the rare distinction of hosting a pair of ‘twin stations’ – stations that share the same name, are only a short distance apart, yet exist at different altitudes and serve completely different purposes.
The first of these doppelgangers lie on either side of Secunderabad: Lallaguda Station and Lallaguda Gate. Located on the Secunderabad-Malkajgiri-Nizamabad route, Lallaguda Gate station is a well-known halt for daily suburban commuters traveling between Malkajgiri-Medchal.
A little further, on the Secunderabad-Kazipet line, lies the second Lallaguda, a station with no train stops or commercial activities. It functions purely as an operational base, a signaling point that helps regulate the movement of trains through the busy corridor.
If the twins of Lallaguda station are unusual, the Ammuguda duo pushes the envelope even further as the two stations not only share the same name but also fall under the same Hyderabad division.
Dating back to the Nizam State Railway and located on the Kacheguda-Nizamabad line, the ‘older’ Ammuguda station continues to serve as a regular stop for MMTS and suburban services towards Medchal, Secunderabad and Lingampally.
A new operating station, also called Ammuguda, was opened between Moula Ali and Sanatnagar stations when a chord line was built to bypass the busy Secunderabad junction. This was for goods trains to move directly to Vikarabad-Mumbai route coming from Kazipet side, according to top railway officials.
Explaining the role of such operating posts, senior officials said, “These stations do not have ticket counters, train stops or passenger facilities. Their purpose is to operate block signaling located between two stations roughly 10-12 km apart to ensure safe movement of trains.”
Until recently, this “new” Ammuguda station was only an operating point on the Secunderabad-Moula Ali chord line until it was doubled and electrified under the second phase of the MMTS. It now has a right of way and two years ago it became a stop for MMTS suburban trains connecting the Secunderabad-Medchal-Lingampally sections.
A view of the twin rail corridors near Ammuguda, showing the new Ammuguda station on the Ghatkesar–Sanathnagar line next to the existing Ammuguda station on the Malkajgiri–Bolarum section. | Photo credit: G. Ramakrishna
However, unlike the Lallaguda pair, the two Ammuguda stations caused real confusion among passengers and ticketing staff alike, especially when commuters did not specify the route.
“We have MMTS services in the morning and evening on two different routes. If the passenger does not mention which Ammugudy he is traveling to, he may land at the wrong one. The staff also have to check again before issuing the ticket,” said MMTS Travelers Association secretary Noor Ahmed Ali.
Passenger groups have demanded that the railway authorities consider renaming one of the Ammuguda stations as Vivekanandapuram for clarity in terms of geographical location.
However, the railway authorities insist that the system is clear enough as the two Ammuguda suburban stations lie on different routes and ticket sales depend mainly on station codes: LGDH for Lallaguda Gate, LGD for Lallaguda (operational), AMQ for the “old” Ammuguda station and AMGU for the “new”.
Still, officials acknowledge that the introduction of a new stop with the same name has led to commuter problems. Interestingly, both Lallaguda Gate and the new Ammuguda stations are located on elevated tracks located above their ground-level twins.
There was also another twist involving the station, a few years ago in Nanded division. At Penuganga station, the railways did the reverse and removed the service part of the stop station, as two other equidistant block signaling stations saved significant costs while retaining commercial/passenger services.
“Initially there were protests as passengers thought the station itself was closing. But once we explained that only the block signaling section was being removed and trains would continue to stop at the station, they calmed down,” recalled SCR director of public relations A. Sridhar.
Published – 14 March 2026 08:57 IST
