BENGALURU: To ease Bengaluru’s overcrowded railway network, the Ministry of Railways has given the green light for a Final Location Survey (FLS) for the proposed Mega Coaching Terminal near Devanahalli. The approval is part of a broader initiative to address the city’s growing passenger demands. The survey, which is set to be conducted along the Yelahanka-Devanahalli- Chikkaballapur corridor, is estimated to cost Rs 1.35 crore.
Currently, Bengaluru, the fifth most populous metro city, operates with only three terminals and 12 pit lines, handling 140 originating, 139 terminating and 142 pass-through trains daily. The city also manages 110 primary maintenance trains. With an expected 103.72 million originating passengers and a total footfall of 212.06 million in 2024-25, the existing terminals - KSR Bengaluru, Yeshwanthpur and SMVT Bengaluru - are already at full capacity.
The city’s rail system is expected to face even greater strain, with a future projection of 210 originating trains per day.
The lack of sufficient stabling lines and a dedicated goods corridor has resulted in the movement of empty trains. While expanding existing terminals is increasingly difficult due to the city’s dense urban growth, the proposed terminal at Devanahalli or at any suitable location along the Yelahanka - Devanahalli - Chikkaballapur corridor, is expected to serve as a fourth major terminal. It will be equipped with 12 pit lines, five washing lines, 24 stabling lines, six heavy repair bay lines, two pit wheel lathe lines and six sick lines, along with support infrastructure like loco bays, a 50-tonne boot laundry, administrative buildings and stores.