Six trains to Bengaluru airport but only 30 takers a day

Trains to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) are the cheapest option, with fares ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 30, but they have few takers.

The daily average of people travelling to the KIA Halt station is just 30, according to South Western Railway (SWR).

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) built the KIA Halt station to benefit flyers and airport staff and inaugurated it in 2021. It is 3.5 km away from the airport. 

Many Bengalureans told Metrolife they weren’t aware of the train option. A few knew about it but hadn’t taken it because their train and flight timings didn’t quite match. 

Flyers use personal vehicles, on-demand cabs or BMTC’s Vayu Vajra buses to reach the Bengaluru airport. A cab ride from central Bengaluru to the airport typically costs about Rs 900. BIAL recently raised the pickup fees for ride-hailing firms.

SWR operates six trains that connect KSR Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur, and Bengaluru Cantonment stations with the KIA Halt station. These are a mix of DEMU (Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit) and MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains and have eight to 12 cars. 

What’s the problem?

Sustainability practitioner Dhawall Mane says trains are unlikely to be
Option No 1 for most Bengalureans. “I live in Vivek Nagar and the closest railway station is Bengaluru Cantonment, 30 minutes away. How many times would you want to load and unload your luggage?” he says. Mane says he would consider taking the train when he has enough time on his hands and co-travellers to give company. 

Civic activist Rajkumar Dugar says, “Not every option will serve everyone but the point is to have options and ensure they all are effective. But the train service fails on many fronts — it operates on very few routes, it is too infrequent, and it doesn’t reach on time.”

A Vasanth Nagar resident, Dugar has used the train three times, most recently in April. He recounts the hiccups: “The trains depart on time but are stalled on the way. Once, a train stopped before a crossing near Channasandra for almost half an hour. A person catching a flight would never want to be stuck in a situation like this,” he says. Dugar says the service is sometimes suspended for 2-3 days randomly, making it undependable.

Rail activist K N Krishna Prasad says the problems stem from the fact that the trains aren’t designed for airport commutes. “These trains run up to Chikkaballapur and Kolar,” he explains. “And after Yelahanka, there is only a single track. This causes delays and uncertainty,” he continues.  

To popularise these trains, Prasad suggests adding boarding points in high-density areas like Whitefield and Kengeri, starting more trains from KSR Bengaluru station, which has metro connectivity, and running the service all days of the week.

To boost ridership, now four more trains stop at Bettahalsoor and Doddajala, says a railway representative.

How to get to airport and back by train

SWR currently operates six trains — from KSR Bengaluru (SBC), Yeshwantpur (YPR), and Bengaluru Cantonment (BNC) stations — that stop at the KIA Halt station (KIAD). Stops include Bengaluru East, Baiyappanahalli, Channasandra, Yelahanka, Bettahalsoor, Doddajala, Malleswaram, Lottegollahalli and Kodigehalli.

BIAL runs a free bus shuttle between the station and the two airport terminals. The shuttle arrives five minutes before the train pulls into the station. There are no trains on Sunday and the fare is Rs 10 to Rs 30.

Among airport-bound trains, the earliest departs at 5.10 am from Bengaluru Cantonment and the last from KSR Bengaluru station at 6.20 pm. The first train towards Bengaluru from the KIA station leaves at 8.18 am and the last at 7.23 pm.

Look up the schedule on NTES app on Android and iOS and search for 'Trains between stations' tab.