SWR to Add Six Platforms at KSR Bengaluru and Yeshwanthpur for Rs 559 Crore

South Western Railway is planning to construct six additional platforms across KSR Bengaluru City and Yeshwanthpur railway stations at an estimated total cost of Rs 559.64 crore, aiming to ease train operations and stop arriving trains from being held outside stations due to limited track space.

The project includes building two new platforms at KSR Bengaluru and four at Yeshwanthpur. The expansion will increase platform capacity at KSR Bengaluru from 10 to 12 and at Yeshwanthpur from six to 10, helping railway authorities schedule arrivals and departures more efficiently during peak travel periods.

At KSR Bengaluru, South Western Railway completed the first phase of yard remodelling in the first week of August, which improved train movement within the yard. The Railway Board has approved the proposal for the two additional platforms, estimated at Rs 228 crore, and technical procedures are underway. The new platforms will handle trains headed toward Mysuru and other destinations across south Karnataka, including services routed through Yeshwanthpur.

Yeshwanthpur station will receive four new island platforms at an estimated cost of Rs 331.64 crore. Two of these platforms will measure about 390 metres to serve suburban and MEMU trains, while the remaining two will measure about 600 metres to accommodate mainline services. To create space, South Western Railway plans to shift the existing track machine depot at the station.

The Yeshwanthpur expansion will also require structural modifications, clearing or acquiring portions of staff quarters, a nearby railway colony, and an educational institution, as well as the potential removal of around 200 trees. The work will complement the ongoing Rs 377-crore redevelopment of Yeshwanthpur station, which includes a new station building, an air concourse, multi-level parking, and maintenance facilities for Vande Bharat services.

While the opening of Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Baiyappanahalli in 2022 reduced pressure on KSR Bengaluru by taking over several north-bound long-distance trains, congestion and platform shortages have continued to cause delays across the city's network.