Bengalureans may soon be able to travel from the city centre to Kempegowda International Airport within an hour, sans the traffic jams. The railway station coming up near the Kempegowda International Airport is almost in the final stages of completion, authorities confirmed. As earlier reported the station is at a distance of less than five km from the airport terminal and will be connected by a shuttle bus service by the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the company managing the airport.
AK Singh, General Manager, South Western Railways, said, “By August-end all construction work will be over and once the Ministry gives approval we can function from the next day itself.”
While the station was first scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019, delays in construction, purported change in design and later the pandemic have resulted in the current delays.
The service is slated to help hundreds of workers employed at the airport and also passengers who would want to spend less than Rs 30 on their way to the airport. Currently, government-run airport buses cost a minimum of Rs 150 from Hebbal, and Rs 320 from Chandapura in Electronic City. Private cab rides from the city can cost more than Rs 900.
Train services at present are not operating in the Yelahanka-Devanahalli section under which this station falls since the COVID-19 induced lockdown in mid-March. There are usually three trains running on this route everyday and increasing capacity will be a challenge given the entire stretch is on a single line. This would mean trains in one direction cannot run more than once in 30 minutes.
A look at the new railway station that's in the final stages of completion. (Photo by Mr. Narasimhulu)
Speaking to TNM, Rajkumar Dugar, convenor of Citizens for Citizens (C4C) said services on this route can be expanded only if the Doddajala Railway Station is upgraded to a crossing station.
“We had met the state Chief Secretary on this issue and when we discussed the cost for the same, he had expressed willingness to take on the project from the state government side but so far we are yet to hear anything,” he said.
While the station can be made ready for passenger usage by as early as September, TNM has learnt that BIAL which is also financing the station wants to start operations only after all the beautification work and ancillary amenities are ready..
As part of the airport’s multi-crore expansion plan, a suburban rail station within the airport compound has also been planned and will be made ready in another five years’ time.
Incidentally, the metro rail connectivity to the airport from the city is still in the making with the plan yet to be approved by the Union government.