An exclusive airport train could chug into KIA by March 2021

A dedicated airport train exclusively for air passengers could become a reality by March 2021. Electrification of the railway line linking the new halt station at Kempegowda International Airport with the city will enable this, making it a potential game-changer.

Ready to be commissioned within the next few weeks, the KIA halt station will initially benefit the over 28,000 airport employees once passenger trains resume operation. But the real shift in airport connectivity from road to rail for air passengers is likely once the line is electrified and MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains begin operation on the track.

The tendering process for the electrification of the 26-km line is already on. Fast-tracking this project would mean MEMU trains can run up to and beyond the halt station from Kengeri, Hosur, Whitefield, Baiyappanahalli, and Tumakuru. South Western Railways (SWR), Bengaluru Division, has a good number of MEMUs to make this happen.

The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which built the halt station, has already announced that it will operate shuttle buses not only to the multiple work areas within the KIA campus, but also the terminals.

Dedicated airport trains with three to four rakes and an air-conditioned coach could initially attract air passengers with light luggage.

This is considered the best rail alternative to an airport metro line, which is likely to be commissioned only after 2024.

Since electrification and automatic signaling have gained traction across the city, airport-bound passengers could board such dedicated trains from Baiyappanahalli, Yeshwantpur, KSR or Cantonment stations.

Doddajala upgrade

Critical to the electrification and introduction of more trains on the line is a crossing station at Doddajala, complete with signaling and an extended one-km platform. It is learnt that the South Western Railways (SWR) has sent a proposal to the Railway Board to sanction Rs 10 crore for the project.

An upgraded Doddajala station will also help employees commute faster to the Aerospace Park and other adjoining areas, as urban mobility analyst Sanjeev Dyamannavar put it.

“It is about six kms from the station. People can take share taxis from the station to their work areas,” he explained.

The upgrade is the bare minimum required to ensure the practical frequency of trains on the 24-km Yelahanka-Devanahalli route, which is a single track with only halt stations in between, Rajkumar Dugar from Citizens for Citizens noted. “Of course, ideally, the track should be doubled. But we can’t wait for that to happen.”