Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal

Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal, commonly identified by station code SMVB, is one of the newest major railway terminals in Bengaluru.

The terminal was developed at Baiyappanahalli to provide additional railway capacity for the rapidly growing Bengaluru metropolitan region.

Its most notable distinction is that it was officially inaugurated as India's first air-conditioned railway station.

The Government of India stated that the terminal was developed along the lines of a modern airport at a cost of approximately ₹315 crore.

Unlike older railway terminals that evolved gradually over decades, SMVT was designed from the beginning around modern passenger requirements.

The terminal includes spacious passenger areas, organised arrival and departure movement, digital passenger-information facilities, lifts and escalators, waiting facilities and improved accessibility.

It has seven platforms and is operated by South Western Railway.

The station is named after Sir M. Visvesvaraya, the renowned Indian engineer, statesman and Bharat Ratna recipient whose work had an enormous influence on engineering and development in Karnataka and India.

SMVT also helps distribute long-distance railway traffic that would otherwise place additional pressure on Bengaluru's older major terminals such as KSR Bengaluru City and Yesvantpur.

The station therefore represents an important change in Indian railway planning: instead of continuously expanding congested historic stations, entirely new terminals can be built with modern passenger circulation and amenities incorporated into their original design.