South Western Railway (SWR) has proposed to extend the MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains operating from Bengaluru city to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) railway station up to Chickballapur to increase occupancy.
SWR sources told The Hindu that occupancy rates on trains to Bengaluru airport are below 1%. Hence, the SWR has proposed extending the trains to Chickballapur (Chikkaballapura) in a bid to increase occupancy.
In June this year, SWR had discontinued all MEMU train operations between Bengaluru and KIA railway station due to low occupancy and a significant shortage of crew members. Surprisingly, just 15 days later, the train services were reinstated.
The journey from Bengaluru to the airport takes approximately 90 minutes, and encompasses a 10-minute, 3.5-km free shuttle bus ride from KIA halt station to the airport. The ticket price is ₹35, which is the cheapest among all available modes of transport.
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) built the station at an approximate cost of ₹3 crore. It was inaugurated on January 4, 2021. The SWR is running eight pairs of trains, including six pairs of MEMU trains, on the route for the benefit of air passengers and people working at the airport. However, in August, two trains from Bengaluru Cantonment railway station to KIA halt station were cancelled citing works on the line. These two trains are cancelled till September 9.
Commuters welcome extension of train
Meanwhile, commuters are happy with SWR’s proposal to extend the train route, but they emphasized the importance of prompt implementation. Speaking to The Hindu, Rajkumar Dugar, the Convener of Citizens for Citizens said, “We have been urging for many days now that the railways have to extend the airport train further so that the occupancy rate will improve. This is good news that railways have proposed to connect the train till Chickballapur. However, now the SWR should implement the extension immediately.”
Mr. Dugar also highlighted that the maintenance of these MEMU trains by SWR has been inadequate. “The train toilets, seats, and the interior are not clean. The maintenance of the train should improve,” he added.
A passenger Prasanth K expressed his concerns about that the punctuality of these trains. “The SWR should ensure that train services cater to both air passengers and airport employees. I myself have faced train delays and it should improve. To enhance patronage, it’s important for SWR to promote the services extensively at stations and the airport by displaying train schedules prominently at the airport’s departure gate as a way to encourage more people to utilise these services,” Mr. Prasanth added.
