When the APSRTC administrative team needed to establish its corporate headquarters, they chose the most logical address — the bus station. Not a separate building in a commercial district, not a government complex across town, but right there on the departure floor of the Pandit Nehru Bus Station in Vijayawada, where the daily operations of one of India’s largest state road transport corporations are most directly visible. RTC House in the NTR Administration Block sits within PNBS itself, and the consequence of this co-location is that this bus station is simultaneously one of India’s largest transit facilities and the administrative nerve center of a 14,123-bus, 30,000-plus route operation that covers Andhra Pradesh and reaches into four neighboring states.
Inaugurated on September 23, 1990, and officially named the Telugu Satavahana Prayana Pranganam alongside its common name, PNBS spans 28 acres on NH-65 in the Krishna Lanka zone of Vijayawada — beside the Krishna River, visible from the famous Prakasam Barrage. It ranks second only to Chennai’s Mofussil Bus Terminus in land area among Indian bus stations. The 61 platforms — 48 departure, 12 arrival, and the City Bus Port for local services — handle the daily commercial and pilgrimage traffic of what is arguably Andhra Pradesh’s most strategically positioned city. Vijayawada sits at the exact geographic midpoint between Hyderabad and Chennai, on the arterial highway and rail corridor connecting both, making PNBS the unavoidable transit hub for cross-state movement through the eastern Deccan.
Pandit Nehru Bus Station Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) |
| Other Name | Telugu Satavahana Prayana Pranganam |
| Location | NH-65, Arrival Block, Krishna Lanka, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh — 520003 |
| Inaugurated | September 23, 1990 |
| Operated By | APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) |
| APSRTC Headquarters | RTC House, NTR Administration Block — within PNBS complex |
| Platforms | 61 total: 48 departure + 12 arrival + City Bus Port |
| Site Area | 28 acres — second largest bus station in India |
| Total Blocks | Departure Terminal, Arrival Terminal, RTC House, City Bus Port |
| Enquiry | 0866-252 3926; Alternate: 0866-252 3928 |
| 24/7 Support | 0866-257 0005; APSRTC Helpline: 149 |
| 95523 00009 | |
| Key Routes | Hyderabad, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Bengaluru, Guntur |
| Bus Services | Garuda Plus, Garuda, Indra, Amaravati, Vennela AC Sleeper, Deluxe, Express |
| Nearest Railway Station | Vijayawada Junction — Approx. 3–4 km |
| Nearest Airport | Vijayawada International Airport — Approx. 22 km |
| Recent Development | Mercedes-Benz luxury buses inducted; Stree Shakti free travel scheme for women active |
Location
PNBS occupies the Krishna Lanka area of Vijayawada’s southern zone — a site on NH-65 with the Krishna River as its natural southern boundary. The four entrances allow vehicular access from different directions, and the departure terminal’s 48 platforms are organised by route sector — passengers heading to Hyderabad find their platforms in a different zone from those heading to Tirupati, reducing the navigation confusion that undifferentiated platform systems create. The river-adjacent setting means the bus station has unusually open, ventilated architecture compared to city-center terminals hemmed in by commercial buildings.
Directions
From Vijayawada Junction Railway Station: Travel southward approximately 3 to 4 kilometres by auto-rickshaw or cab, 10 to 20 minutes depending on traffic. The railway station is one of South India’s busiest rail junctions making this transfer one of the most commonly made in Andhra Pradesh.
From Vijayawada Airport: Travel approximately 22 kilometres by cab, 30 to 45 minutes.
From Hyderabad: Travel southeastward via NH-65 approximately 275 to 280 kilometres, 4.5 to 5.5 hours by APSRTC. The Hyderabad-Vijayawada corridor is among APSRTC’s highest-frequency routes — premium Garuda Plus services run with AC comfort for this important commercial corridor.
From Tirupati: Travel northward approximately 380 kilometres, 6 to 7 hours — the pilgrimage-heavy corridor connecting Balaji’s shrine to the state capital.
Connectivity
Vijayawada Junction Railway Station handles a staggering volume of trains — one of South India’s most important junctions on the Delhi-Chennai mainline, the Mumbai-Chennai corridor, and multiple branch lines. The rail-to-bus transfer between the junction and PNBS is Vijayawada’s most-made daily transit movement. The city does not yet have metro rail. Vijayawada Airport serves domestic destinations and the APSRTC bus network connects the airport zone to PNBS as part of the city-level route structure.
Nearby Areas
Kanaka Durga Temple: The sacred temple of Goddess Kanaka Durga on Indrakeeladri hill overlooking the Krishna River is Vijayawada’s spiritual heart — drawing enormous pilgrimage traffic from across Andhra Pradesh throughout the year, with the Dasara festival creating one of South India’s largest religious gatherings accessible from PNBS. Prakasam Barrage: The 1,223-metre-long barrage across the Krishna River is both an engineering landmark and a tourist attraction directly adjacent to the PNBS zone. Kondapalli Fort: The 14th-century fort approximately 20 kilometres from Vijayawada and the Kondapalli toys manufacturing tradition are accessible by bus from PNBS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is Pandit Nehru Bus Station and where is it?
A: The main APSRTC bus station in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh — 28 acres on NH-65 at Krishna Lanka. Second largest bus station in India by area.
Q2. How many platforms does PNBS have?
A: 61 platforms — 48 departure, 12 arrival, plus a City Bus Port for local services.
Q3. Is APSRTC headquartered at PNBS?
A: Yes — RTC House in the NTR Administration Block within PNBS is the APSRTC corporate headquarters.
Q4. How far is PNBS from Vijayawada Railway Station?
A: About 3 to 4 km — accessible by auto-rickshaw in 10 to 20 minutes.
Q5. Does APSRTC offer free travel for women from PNBS?
A: Yes — the Stree Shakti scheme provides free bus travel for women on APSRTC services. Andhra Pradesh has recently released ₹400 crore for scheme reimbursements.