The freshly-readied airport halt station near the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru will get its first train in the second week of December. However, the exact date is yet to be finalized by the authorities. This announcement was made by AK Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru on Saturday, during an interaction with reporters. The halt station at the edge of the airport campus was built with funding provided by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the company that manages the KIA.
Commuters, including the airport staff and flyers, will be taken to the airport on shuttle buses run by BIAL. This rail connectivity would also serve as the first alternative to reach the airport without using the existing road network. Other than being an alternative to the road network, it will also be a much more economical option for commuters, as tickets are expected to cost Rs 10 from Yelahanka and Rs 30 from Majestic.
In late November, the South Western Railways had announced that an additional three pairs of trains will operate towards the KIA from Bengaluru city, apart from the four pairs of trains that already operate between the city and Chikkabalapura. However, since the imposition of lockdown and travel restrictions, passenger trains in these networks had remained suspended until now.
By the end of 2023, commuters can expect to reach the airport terminal directly by train, as part of the dedicated suburban rail facility.
During his announcement, Verma also said that the new Baiyappanahalli Coaching Terminal will start functioning by February, 2021. The terminal has been named after Sir M Visvesvaraiah and the gazette notification for the same was issued on Friday, he said.