To beat the chronic traffic problem in silicon city Bengaluru, the Indian Railways in a first of its kind has announced to connect the metropolitan to the Bengaluru Airport. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that, in addition to road, metro rail, and suburban railway services provided by the State government, Indian Railways will also introduce a train travel option from Kempegowda International Airport to Bengaluru city.
However, he noted that a few technical challenges need to be addressed before this can be implemented and the Railway team is working on resolving them. Addressing media, Vaishnaw said that people currently have access to Bengaluru airport via Metro Rail, road, and the suburban railway project managed by the Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) (K-RIDE).
K-RIDE, a joint venture between the Centre and the state, is under construction and aims to enhance urban rail connectivity. “Apart from Metro Rail, road and K-RIDE, we are also creating a railway connectivity option to the airport,†Vaishnaw said. He recalled that during his last visit, he travelled by train from the airport to the city.
“I realised it was a comfortable 40 to 45-minute ride. However, there were some technical issues, particularly the need to construct a rail flyover. The team has now completed the necessary work and they presented the concept to me today. I will share it with you soon. This will bring significant relief to the people,†the Minister said.
He also emphasised the importance of suburban and metro projects for Bengaluru, a city with a population of 1.5 crore. “It’s a very large city, and we need to rapidly expand metro and suburban rail networks. The state and Centre must work in a synchronised manner,†he pointed out.
Vaishnaw mentioned that during his visits, he has been reviewing the progress of the K-RIDE suburban railway project in detail. “Each time, the major challenge has been the lack of technical personnel. I will request the state government to appoint a full-time MD from the Railway technical cadre. Without this, progress will be slow,†he said.
Regarding the circular rail project around Bengaluru, he said the concept has now been finalised. “Bengaluru is connected to the city by seven railway spokes. About a year and a half ago, we introduced the idea of a circular rail network,†he explained. The Minister also addressed issues related to metro train manufacturing.
“Although this does not fall under the railway’s purview, we will do our best to ensure that the people of Bengaluru get good facilities, which is the priority. We should not get into whether this falls under the state or Centre’s domain,†he pointed out.
