Suburban link will help escape traffic, save time and money

Bengalureans heading to the city airport could finally heave a sigh of relief. After years of waiting, a suburban railway link with a airport halt station is now finally ready for launch. Although only airport employees are expected to benefit initially, the line will eventually help air passengers.

Several suggestions have been made to ensure that the line becomes truly effective through integration with the Metro and last-mile bus connectivity so that people can board the train from the City, Cantonment, Yeswanthpura and Baiyappanahalli stations. DH interacts with a cross-section of Bengalureans to get their views.

N Malavika Mohan, who stays near Thanisandra Road, observes: “Having a railway connection to the airport will be highly beneficial to passengers. The only options available now are cab or public bus, both of which are unreliable considering the city’s infamous traffic jams.”

The benefits, she adds, can be better realised if the airport can be linked with the Metro as the number of Metro stations are more than the railway stations. However, the Airport Metro is currently off radar. Due to the Covid-19 situation, this line is likely to be delayed further.

Anandan V, a resident of Hongasandra, says there is no other choice right now but to travel by road to reach the airport. In Bengaluru, it is highly difficult to board a bus and reach the airport on time. “For instance, it is difficult for a person who is staying in HSR or BTM layout to reach the airport because it takes more than two hours due to heavy traffic.”

The suburban railway line to the airport, he says, will help passengers save a lot of time. It will also provide citizens more options to travel without getting caught in traffic. Besides buses, the only other option available for airport passengers now are the expensive cabs.

For Abin Munch, a medical student, it was very difficult to get to the airport to catch a flight to his native. He had to fork out at least Rs 1,500 for cabs to reach the airport before the check-in time. “Sometimes, cab drivers use the opportunity to charge more when we are in a hurry to catch a flight.”

He had thought Ola and Uber cabs would be cheaper. “Even when I have tried these options, I have always ended up paying more than Rs 1,000. So, both the suburban railway link and an Airport Metro are urgently needed for a densely populated city like Bengaluru,” he points out.

Rajkrishnan R, a biomedical engineer, welcomes the suburban rail connectivity. But he wants the service to follow all safety protocols. “For instance, social-distancing norms should be followed inside the train. Besides, the authorities should ensure that the trains stick to the schedule, as they have a tendency to get delayed.”

The long-distance between the city and the airport has been a key factor in many people not even considering the air option to go to cities such as Mysuru and Chennai. A quick, cheap suburban railway link to the airport could help them reconsider that decision.