The one-of-its-kind airport-like swanky Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal at Baiyappanahalli in Bengaluru will finally be inaugurated in a no-frills event with the first train to Ernakulam, Kerala from the terminal departing at 7 pm on June 6.
The terminal’s inauguration was reportedly held up for 14 months after completion as authorities were waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the showpiece of Indian Railways. However, following criticism for the inordinate delay, South Western Railway (SWR) decided to skip the inauguration and open the terminal for public use. The terminal will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a later date, sources said.
The Sir. M. Visvesvaraya Terminal was built at a cost of ₹314 crore. It has state-of-the-art facilities like at any airport. The terminal has re-imagined a railway station as a convergence of transport and commerce, and as a place to provide a good customer experience. The entire station has central air-conditioning, a first for Indian Railways. The station has an aesthetically designed canopy over the concourse and landscaping in the circulating area. It has a waiting hall for ladies and gents, a reserved lounge and a food court.
The station has seven platforms with shelters for passengers. Wide foot-over bridges and two subways connect all the platforms. All foot-over bridges, subways, escalators, lifts are differently-abled-friendly. The differently-abled also get a dedicated ticket counter.
The terminal has parking space for 250 four-wheelers, 900 two-wheelers, 50 autorickshaws and 20 cabs.
The station has a dedicated bus-bay to provide connectivity to all the important destinations in the city. Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has launched buses on 10 routes, which will totally make 144 trips every day.
In terms of connectivity, the terminal is in the vicinity of Baiyappanahalli metro station on the Purple Line.
SWR has shifted three pairs of trains that earlier originated from Banaswadi to Sir. M. Visvesvaraya Terminal, Baiyappanahalli for now. A total of 30 pairs of trains will be shifted to SVMB in phases, sources said.
