Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/two-suburban-rail-stns-mooted-on-kia-campus/articleshow/108757025.cms
Publisher: Times Of India
BENGALURU: The Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-Ride) is contemplating constructing two suburban rail stations on Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) premises.
Under Corridor-1 (Sampige line) of the Bengaluru suburban rail network, K-Ride is proposing the construction of a line from Majestic to Devanahalli. The 48-km line will comprise 21km elevated and 27km at-grade corridors.
The line will run for close to 6km on KIA premises.
Sources with K-Ride said one station on the KIA premises will be part of the Multi-Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) near Terminal-2 and the other will be for the benefit of airport workers.
“Consultation is ongoing with KIA operator Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) on providing a suburban rail network to the airport. It would take some time to decide whether the stations will be constructed at grade or underground. The proposed stations will be integrated with other modes of transport on the KIA premises,” one of the sources said.
K-Ride is planning to take up the suburban rail link to Devanahalli in two packages. In the first, the line between Majestic and Yelahanka will be constructed, and in the second, work will be taken up from Yelahanka to Devanahalli, including the airport link.
K-Ride had submitted alignment plans to South Western Railway (SWR) for approval. Last year, SWR announced it would take up the doubling of the line between Yelahanka and Devanahalli.
This stretch was commissioned in 1915. K-Ride revised the alignment of the suburban rail network on the stretch to incorporate track doubling. When the 14&-km suburban rail project was sanctioned by the central government in 2020, it had directed K-Ride to prioritize the construction of the Majestic-Devanahalli line.
However, K-Ride de-prioritized the corridor after Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) took up the project of building the 58-km Blue Line from Silk Board to KIA via KR Pura, Nagawara and Hebbal.
Rail activists have been demanding that both the state and central governments take up the Corridor-1 project as it will provide hassle-free travel options for people travelling from core parts of the city to the airport.
Integrated stn at Majestic
At Majestic, K-Ride will build an integrated station linking Corridors 1 and 3 (Kengeri-Whitefield) of the suburban rail network. The elevated integrated station will come up in front of KSR Bengaluru railway station on Gubbi Thotadappa Road. Corridor-1 runs via Malleswaram, Yeshwantpur, Lottegollahalli, and Yelahanka. The elevated corridor has been proposed from Majestic to Lottegollahalli and from Judicial Layout to Yelahanka.
