Airport-like Visvesvaraya rail terminal at Baiyappanahalli to open by end of March

The Visvesvaraya terminal boasts features associated with airports and will have seven platforms and six stabling lines

The terminal has seven platforms, six stabling and three pit lines. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

A view of the platforms at the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

An inside view of the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

An inside view of the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

A foot overbridge at the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

An inside view of the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

An escalator at the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

A railway line at the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

An inside view of the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

Trains stationed at the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

The ticket booking office at the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V 

The facade of the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

The parking lot. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

Work is still going on at the Visvesvaraya Terminal in Baiayappanahalli, Bengaluru. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

The fully air-conditioned Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal, built at a cost of Rs 314 crore with airport-like features, is set to open by March-end.

The Visvesvaraya terminal at Baiyappanahalli in East Bengaluru is an upgraded version of the swanky Benaras (Manduadih) railway station in Varanasi, UP, which opened two years ago.

While the Visvesvaraya terminal boasts features associated with airports, its real strength lies in its seven platforms and six stabling lines that will take the load off the KSR Bengaluru (city) and Yeshwantpur railway stations. The three pit lines on the eastern end have been retained.

Sanctioned in 2015-16, the terminal had remained on paper until 2017 when the Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) sought to bring external investment to take up the project under public-private partnership. The terminal was pitched as part of a potential business hub to industry leaders.

"There was no positive response from the private sector. Meanwhile, the exigency of the terminal was felt strong as the demand for train services increased. The terminal now makes it easy for private investors to see its potential as a hub. We hope it will take off in the next few years," a senior official said.

The terminal opens on the western side to Baiyappanahalli Road, connecting Old Madras Road and Doddabanaswadi Main Road. The 2,880-square metre building (2,160 square meters on the ground floor and 720 square metres on the first) has four entry points. On the left side are seven ticket counters, including one for differently-abled persons.

The other side of the building has an opening to Platform 1. Two pairs of escalators lead to the foot overbridge to access platforms 2 to 7. Each platform has a staircase and a lift.

After having missed several deadlines, officials were given the "strict" deadline of March 2020, which was pushed further to June 2020. But the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the work as workers left Bengaluru.

The terminal was getting finishing touches when DH visited it. Work on Platforms 6 and 7 was still going on. "The platform work and everything else will be completed within the next 10 days. The tracks have already received safety clearance. If needed, they can be commissioned next week," an official said.

Inauguration date

Railway officials are awaiting confirmation from the prime minister's office for the inauguration date. "It has been indicated to us that the inauguration may happen between March 20 and 25. Nothing more can be said at this juncture," a senior official said.

Ashok Kumar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, said: "Path and terminal capacity are crucial for the introduction of new trains. We have been taking doubling and signalling improvements over the last few years to boost capacity. The Visvesvaraya terminal will take care of the passenger load for the next 10 years, by which time we hope to have terminals at Yeshwantpur and Cantonment."