Finally, Bengaluru’s airport-like railway terminal to start operations tonight

The Rs 314-crore Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Byappanahalli, which was waiting for a grand inauguration for the last 14 months, is expected to be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later. The new terminal, which was sanctioned in 2015-16, has missed numerous deadlines. The terminal was supposed to be completed in December 2018, but was finished in March 2021.

The third coaching terminal for the city is expected to decongest the existing Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) and Yesvantpur railway stations.

The railway terminal, modelled after the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, will have seven platforms. (Twitter/@PiyushGoyal)

According to officials, the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal is the country’s first largest air-conditioned rail concourse, which will give passengers an airport kind of experience. “Modern station buildings with centralised air conditioning and airport-like facade have been constructed which will be an airport kind of experience to passengers,” said an official.

The railway terminal, modelled after the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, will have seven platforms, apart from eight stabling lines and three pit lines. Every platform is 15 metre wide and 600 metre long.

The 4,200 sqm terminal building will cater to a daily footfall of 50,000 with 50 trains running every day. Two subways have also been constructed and will connect all the seven platforms of the station apart from a long, oval-shaped foot overbridge that will link them. The subways will accessible both by stairs and ramps for differently-able people.

Officials say that the terminal and the platforms will be illuminated by LED lights. It will also have its own rainwater harvesting and storage facility. A sewage treatment plant with a capacity of four lakh litres is also in the pipeline. The terminal will also have a parking space for over 200 cars and 900 two-wheelers.

Three pairs of trains have been shifted from Banasawadi to the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Byappanahalli. The Banaswadi-Ernakulam Express will start at 7 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday with effect from June 6. In the return direction, Ernakulam-SMVB Express (12683) will terminate at the terminal at 3.55 am on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, according to a statement by the South Western Railway.

“The SMVB – Kochuveli Bi-Weekly Humsafar Express (16320) will start operations from the terminal at 7 pm on Fridays and Sundays with effect from June 10. In the return direction, the train (16319) will terminate at 10.10 am on Fridays and Sundays. The SMVB – Patna Weekly Humsafar Express (22354) will start from the terminal at 1.50 pm on Sundays with effect from June 12. In the return direction, Patna – Banaswadi Weekly Humsafar Express (22353) starting from Patna from June 16, will terminate at 5.10 pm on Saturdays at SMVB,” added the statement.