In what can be a boon to Bangaloreans and air travellers in particular, the detailed project report of a high speed rail link from Cubbon Road to the upcoming Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli has been submitted to the government.

Prepared by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for Infrastructure Development Corporation, Government of Karnataka, the rail link costing Rs 3,716 crore will enable passengers to reach Devanahalli from Cubbon Road in 25 minutes flat as against 75 to 90 minutes by road.

This was revealed by S N Venkata Rao, advisor and project director, DMRC during the 44th MEA Commemoration lecture on ‘High speed rail link from city centre to new international airport at Bangalore (Devanahalli)’ on Saturday.

According to Mr Rao if the project gets the approval from the government, initially 10 trains at a frequency of 10 minutes will ferry passengers from check-in-station at Cubbon Road to the internodal transport station at Hebbal, from where it will move to Yelahanka and will finally reach the airport terminal at a maximum speed of 160 km per hour.

“Two city air terminals have been planned, where air passengers can check in and take boarding passes at the police ground between M G Road and Cubbon Road and beyond Hebbal flyover. This project will not interfere with the Bangalore metro rail project. However, 231 trees on the proposed alignment of the rail link will have to be cut and 375 trees on a private farm land at the entry of the new airport will have to be pruned, ” he said.

By 2011 the estimated air traffic at the new airport per annum will be 17.2 million and rail passengers will be 40,753 per day, Mr Rao added.