Sir M Visvesvaraya rail Terminal likely to open in two months

More than a year after completion of work, the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal in Byappanahalli may begin functioning in two months with officials beginning preparations for the inauguration of the Rs 315 crore facility.

In a letter dated March 31, senior officials have approved a tentative list of six pairs of trains which will be shifted to Sir MV Terminal. Though the letter doesn't mention an inauguration date, the reference to the inaugural special train shows that it might not be too far.

"An inaugural special train (from the terminal) to Vishakhapatnam consisting of 18 LHB Coaches is tentatively planned with open timings. As agreed by the CPTM/E.Co.R, new coaches will be provided by E.Co.Railway for the inaugural run. Further regular weekly service is likely to commence from April 11, 2022," the letter states.

However, a senior railway official cautioned against being carried away by such letters. "It is true that preparations are being made to keep the terminal ready for inauguration. Work is on to treat the terminal for a single coat of painting. However, there is no clarify on inaugural date," he said.

Acknowledging the internal communication, the official however cautioned that one should not be carried away by the date mentioned in the letter. "A similar communication was issued in February last year. However, the inauguration was put off due to some reasons. We now believe that it may happen by the end of April or beginning of May. However, that depends on the availability of the VIPs," he said.

To a question, Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Shyam Singh said no discussions on inaugurations have been held. "As of now, no date has been decided regarding the inauguration," he said, adding that the date in the internal communication doesn't amount to a decision by the higher authorities.

For the last one year, the delay in the utilisation of the terminal has attracted criticism by railway users and activists.

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