KSR Bengaluru station juggles between high footfall, safety worries

Bengaluru: Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Bengaluru, previously known as Bangalore City railway station, is a significant landmark.

A key 'A1' railway station, it serves nearly 200 trains, including various express and superfast options, as well as passenger services.

KSR Bengaluru is spread over 107 acres, boasting modern facilities while managing a daily footfall of approximately 2.5 lakh passengers, with 10 platforms that are equipped with pedestrian overbridges, escalators and ramps to aid wheelchair users. 

Regular maintenance keeps most areas clean, though some spots still have unpleasant odour. Waiting rooms, clean washrooms and a baby feeding cubicle are available, though the cubicle is sometimes misused.

The station is undergoing renovations.

While these works do not affect passengers directly, construction zones remain dusty.

Two major projects

Indian Railways has planned two major projects to improve the station’s look and feel.

One is a Rs 228-crore plan to add two platforms towards Yeshwantpur, build a maintenance facility for Vande Bharat trains and adjust shunting necks.

The second is a Rs 1,000-1,500-crore redevelopment project to construct a multi-storey station building, an aircourse, a fourth entry towards Magadi Road and commercial development. This remains on the drawing board.

KSR Bengaluru remains well connected, with intercity metro and bus services nearby, in addition to prepaid auto and cab stands that often overcharge.

Passengers complain about poor connectivity with bus and metro stations after 11 pm, as civic authorities shut the foot overbridge. The underpass linking the railway station with the metro and other stations is also dirty and often occupied by inebriated homeless people.

Pickpocket problem

A snack vendor on Platform 1 said the station, though clean and popular, is unsafe during late hours.

“I make it a point to stay in my store as long as possible, especially at night, after it was ransacked a few months ago.”

He said the safer option at night is to use the waiting rooms instead of staying on the platforms. Passengers have echoed these concerns, especially about increased pickpocket activity.

In 2025, there have been 51 documented theft cases. Between 2023 and 2025, there has been a 28% decrease in thefts.

"There is no particular time when these thefts take place. We have increased patrolling round the clock at all stations, especially for trains with more theft cases, such as the Bengaluru-Bangarpet trains and the trains on the Arsikere routes. The heightened patrolling has helped bring down the number of thefts,” said Yathish N, Superintendent of Police (Railways), Karnataka.

From 1880s to 'Coolie'

The Bangalore City (KSR Bengaluru) railway station opened in 1880s as the centre of train operations. It was later renamed after freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna.

Originally built for military transport, it became essential for passenger travel as Bengaluru expanded.

The 1983 Hindi film 'Coolie', starring Amitabh Bachchan, was extensively shot here, taking its fame beyond Karnataka.