Rail terminal: Boost access, now

Train services have finally started from the swanky Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Baiyappanahalli (SMVB) after a long wait, although accessibility issues are pending. This key infrastructure that cost more then Rs 350 crore, has been a long-pending project for Bengaluru, as the City railway station terminal and Yesvanthpura terminal were congested for various reasons.

The congestion has put constraints on the South Western Railways (SWR) in starting new inter-city and more MEMU / DEMU services from Bengaluru. The new coaching terminal has seven platforms with state-of-the-art signaling systems to handle both passenger and goods trains. The terminal is connected to three junctions – Banaswadi, Baiyyappanahalli and K R Puram – which are located within a short distance.

Footfalls to increase

The terminal is so well-equipped that more than 40-50 trains can be operated in the coming year, increasing the footfall to one lakh every day. But this will turn out to be a big challenge for both the SWR and the city traffic police. Unfortunately, all the concerned government agencies have shown a lack of interest in providing connectivity, which would have helped operate more trains from here seamlessly. This would also help decongest both the City and Yeswanthpura terminals.

To take maximum advantage of the new infrastructure and help really decongest the older terminals, we need other corrections in the outdated signaling systems around Bengaluru, ensuring that all Level Crossings are eliminated through Road Overbridges / Underbridges (ROB / RUB), fencing of tracks within the city limits, completing doubling / quadrupling of railway tracks and other upgrades.

Activate old plans

During 2014-18, SWR had worked out plans to shift trains to the new SMVB Terminal from Bengaluru City to help decongest it. These plans need to be implemented without further delay. Specifically, a few trains that originate / terminate at peak hours (morning and evening) should be shifted to SMVB.

Besides shifting trains, other challenges that directly affect passengers need to be considered. Accessing the new terminal without hassles is still a big issue, and this is bound to increase travel time for the commuters.

Inter-city train stops

To overcome this, inter-city trains operating from this terminal could provide stoppages wherever possible at Bayyiappanhalli halt station, KR Puram, Channasandra, Banaswadi, Hebbal, Chikkabanawara, Karmelaram, Whitefield and Yelahanka.

This way, inter-city commuters could reach these stations to catch the trains instead of struggling to arrive at the SMVB Terminal. Similarly, SWR should provide shuttle train services connecting Yeswanthpura, Banaswadi, SMVB, K R Puram, Whitefield or Karmelaram and along the Banaswadi – SVMB – Channasandra – Yelahanka route, till some of the accessibility issues are addressed.

Skywalk links

Both the State Government and SWR should work in close coordination to provide connectivity to nearby Metro stations. For this, they could build a skywalk linking SVMB to the Swami Vivekananda Road Metro station and Baiyyappanahalli Metro station. This can be built within a period of six to nine months with a small investment.

Further, government agencies such as the Urban Development Department (UDD), Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Metro Rai Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and SWR should push for these skywalks as the Metro Phase-2 lines will be connected to Whitefield over the next 18 months. This will help commuters from Hoody and Mahadevapura reach the SMVB terminal using Metro and the skywalks together.

Models elsewhere

A similar infrastructure has been provided for a distance of 1.2km in Delhi at Dhaula Kuan, connecting the Airport Express and Metro Stations. Even in Bengaluru, there is now a skywalk linking the Manyata Tech Park offices to the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Some of these measures will surely help improve the connectivity to SMVB and operate more trains from the terminal.

There is a need for the government agencies to work in close coordination to solve these simple connectivity issues, keeping aside inter-departmental ego issues in the larger interest of the IT City. Elected representatives and administrators should come out with feasible and workable plans in the next six months to boost connectivity, improve outdated railway signaling systems and eliminate level crossings across Bengaluru.

This will indirectly help boost the utilisation of the new airport-like terminal, which has already made news across the country for its facade and architecture. Let us hope that things will happen for the better, with active involvement of the elected representatives and the administration.

Also, it is time once again for the citizens to put pressure on the system to get better facilities, instead of suffering commute woes for years to come.

(The author is a seasoned rail activist and urban mobility analyst)