Chikkaballapur Railway Station, which looks like an old bungalow with red tiles on the roof and pointed arches, sees a long line of passengers waiting in front of a solitary clerk. The infrastructure looks like it has been stuck in the days of the British Raj.
“Nearly 1,000 tickets have to be issued within one hour. There is only one booking window and the pressure on the clerk is immense,” said Athaulla Khan, Station Master.
This is one of the stations expected to get a boost under the proposed suburban network of Bengaluru.
Despite the growth of Bengaluru and smaller towns nearby, the Yeshwantpur – Devanahalli – Chikkaballapur line is symptomatic of the neglect of the local train network. The line was set up in 1915. Within a decade, five trains would pass to and fro. However now, just two trains ply from this station, which caters to a population of more than 1.2 lakh.
In this same period, Yelahanka, Doddajala and Devanahalli have seen large-scale residential and commercial complexes come up, apart from the international airport.
Chikkaballapur residents primarily use the choked airport road to reach Bengaluru, which is 56 km away.
Stations underused
Nandi Hills hosts thousands of visitors on weekends. However, not many use the Nandi Halt Station located on the foothills. The heritage station sees barely a few passengers boarding a train every day.
“Only residents of Chikkaballapur or farmers carrying agricultural produce use the train,” says Siddharth Raja, an advocate and a heritage enthusiast who conducts Nandi Heritage Walks.
Commuters are not enthused by the timing of the trains. One leaves Chikkaballapur at 8 a.m. and reaches Bengaluru at 9.19 a.m. The other leaves at 4.30 p.m.
Suburban rail
The neglected line might get another look as activists are demanding a new halt between Doddajala and Devanahalli railway stations, close to the airport road trumpet flyover. “This halt requires a budget support of just ₹50 lakh and would be a key link to the airport,” said Sanjeev Dyamannavar, member, Praja RAAG.
At the same time, Nandi halt could become a pit stop for people heading to Nandi Hills. “Parking on the hill is a problem during weekends. If we have better train services and buses take tourists from the station to the hilltop, visitors will have an alternative to personal vehicles,” says Mr. Raja.
With the suburban rail still in the conceptual stage, South Western Railway officials said ‘no specific’ proposal has been drawn up for the Yeshwantpur–Chikkaballapur line.
History of the line
1915
Yeshwantpur – Devanahalli – Chikkaballapur line laid
Distance: 62 km
Travel time: 3.5 hours
Number of stations: 10
1933
Number of trains: 5
Minimum fare: 10 annas
Line connects to Bowringpet (Bangarapet)
1989
Line becomes defunct
Line revived in 1996
2017
Number of trains: 2
Travel time: 1.5 hours
Potential of the track
Yeshwantpur-Yelahanka-Bettahalasoor-Dodjala-(proposed station near trumpet flyover)-Devanahalli-Avatihalli-Nandi Halt-Chikkaballapur
Will benefit commuters from Yelahanka
Reduce time to international airport and Devanahalli industrial clusters
Augment public transport to Nandi Hills
