Train station near Bengaluru airport may be ready by August-end

BENGALURU: In a relief to airport-bound passengers, the long-awaited halt railway station — between Doddajala and Devanahalli — will be ready by August-end.
The new station will be close to the airport boundary and 2-3km away from Kempegowda International Airport terminal. Bangalore International Airport Limited is building it and will operate shuttle bus services between the station and terminal.
The platform is ready but station building work has been delayed due to labour shortage following the lockdown. BIAL said it intends to complete the project by August-end after which the railways would decide on operationalising the station.
In 2014, BIAL had suggested building a halt train station on a line which runs along the airport’s northeast boundary. In June 2019, South Western Railway gave a green signal to BIAL to construct the station. However, it missed several deadlines — December 2019, February 2020 and April 2020.
The station is expected to provide 27,000 airport employees a cheaper commuting option. BIAL and South Western Railway are in talks to start additional trains on the route, and their timings will be synced with the working hours of airport employees.
Currently, three pairs of trains operate on the Devanahalli line. SWR officials said regular mail, express and passenger services as well as suburban trains have been cancelled till August 12. “The halt station will be operational once regular services resume. We will take a decision to operate additional trains based on demand,” said a senior SWR official.