Proposed mega rail terminal near Bengaluru airport moves forward, site identified

Bengaluru: The proposed mega coaching terminal near Devanahalli on Bengaluru’s outskirts is moving forward, with railway officials preparing to commission a feasibility study soon.

The terminal is part of a nationwide initiative by the Railway Board directorate to construct similar facilities across the country.

These terminals, to be constructed by the respective railway zones, will meet increasing passenger traffic and provide massive maintenance facilities.

The Devanahalli terminal’s initial approximate location was between Yelahanka, Devanahalli and Chikkaballapur stations. The South Western Railway (SWR) has narrowed it down to a land parcel in Bullahalli and KG Gururayanahosuru villages, near the Venkatagiri Kote Halt station.

The terminal is proposed to be spread over 1,000 acres, and have at least 16 platforms, 20 stabling lines and 10 pit lines.

To put this scale into perspective, KSR Bengaluru, the largest train station in Karnataka, has a total station and yard area of 107 acres, 10 platforms, six stabling lines and five pit lines.

A stabling line is where trains are parked after service. A pit line is used for train maintenance, cleaning and inspection.

The proposed location is strategic. It is within walking distance of Bengaluru-Hyderabad Road (National Highway 44) and 7 km from the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR). The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) is located at a distance of 15 km.

A senior official in the SWR construction wing confirmed to DH that a feasibility study was being commissioned but declined to specify which agency would do it.

The feasibility study will determine land requirements, estimated cost, social and environmental impact, passenger traffic and other details.

Yogesh Mohan, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, said the project was still on the drawing board.

Estimated to cost at least Rs 1,500 crore, the Devanahalli terminal is aimed at further decongesting two of the city’s largest railway stations — KSR Bengaluru and Yeshwantpur.

If implemented, the terminal will provide railway connectivity to the city’s northern and northeastern suburbs, which have been growing rapidly due to the proximity to the airport.

Space constraints have made it difficult to expand the Yelahanka Junction railway station.

If the proposed site is approved, the Devanahalli terminal will also provide connectivity to the airport, making inter-modal transfers easier.

This is the second modern railway terminal planned in Bengaluru. The first — SMVT Bengaluru — is already operational, and handles nearly 50 trains bound for East and Northeast India. In 2023-24, it served 44.49 lakh outbound passengers, bringing in a revenue of Rs 456.30 crore.

Meanwhile, the SWR is redeveloping Yeshwantpur and Bengaluru Cantonment railway stations, and has planned a massive revamp of KSR Bengaluru, too.

The SWR had previously proposed a mega terminal in Hejjala, off Mysuru Road, but did not find the location feasible.