Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Byappanahalli (SMVB), the first AC terminal in Bengaluru, begins operation from tomorrow onwards after more than year-long waiting for inauguration
Bengaluru, NFAPost: Do you believe Indian Railway will spend Rs 314 crore to construct a railway station? The majority will say they will not believe it. But Indian Railways is going through a transformational phase under the leadership of Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that the mantra of commuter focus is making dramatic changes in the approach.
Indian Railways, under the leadership of South Western Railway (SWR) division, constructed a new palatial Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Byappanahalli (SMVB), the most modern railway station in competition with Bengaluru International Airport at the heart of the city with an objective for giving a new travelling experience with its commuters centric approach.
Sir M Visvesaraya Terminal Railway Station at Bypanahally will start functioning from tomorrow onwards by operating three pairs of trains. They are Ernakulam–SMVB (train number 12683/12684), Kochuveli–SMVB Express (16319/16320) and Patna-MVB (22353/22354).
As per Bangalore Divisional Railway Manager Shyam Singh a minimum of 50 trains will start its operation in the first phase. South Western Railways (SWR) decided to construct the new railway station as the existing KSR City and Yeswanthpur railway stations were facing space constraints for further development.
Spread across 4200 square feet, Sir M Visvesaraya Terminal Railway Station at Bypanahally is the first AC terminal under the jurisdiction of SWR and can accommodate up to 70,000 passengers on a daily basis.
Sir M Visvesaraya Terminal Railway Station at Bypanahally has seven platforms for better traffic management with seven ticket counters and additional unreserved ticket vending machines. The SWR has constructed two underpasses and one overbridge to connect these platforms.
Besides IRCTC operating two food courts, the terminal will have a fully air-conditioned lobby, waiting hall, VIP lounge and real-time passenger information system. The terminal is unique with its rainwater harvesting facility and 4 lakh litre capacity sewage treatment plant (STP) to process and treat wastewater/sewage into a cleaner effluent water.
To give better connectivity, Sir M Visvesaraya Terminal Railway Station at Bypanahally is connected with the nearest Swami Vivekananda Metro Station on Old Madras Road via newly constructed railway over-bridge.
There is widespread criticism in the delay for opening the railway terminal which completed its construction last year itself. According, to the media report, Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Shyam Singh didn’t confirm any formal inauguration function of the terminal.
