The long overdue metro line to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) from K.R. Puram via Hebbal will be used by an estimated 4.33 lakh passengers per day in 2024, the first year of operations.
Ridership is projected to increase to 8.35 lakh by 2031 and 11.14 lakh by 2041. These are the estimations submitted by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in the Environmental Impact Assessment (Draft) on the K.R. Puram to KIA metro line under Phase II B.
The report states that the proposed station at Hebbal will see the highest footfall (60,987), followed by K.R. Puram station (51,983), Nagawara (50,470) and KIA terminal station (48,113). The 38-kilometre elevated line will have 17 stations.
BMRCL officials envision Hebbal station as a major hub.
“Provisions will be made to integrate other modes of transport at the station, including Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses and long-distance services by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. For this purpose, BMRCL is acquiring additional 1.5 acres from the BMTC,” said a BMRCL official.
Hebbal station will ease the commute to and from KIA for those living in the west and northwest parts of the city.
According to the draft EIA report, the proposed station at Doddajala will see lowest ridership at 5,365 per day, followed by Bettahalasur (8,048), Bagalur Cross (8,382 )and Airport City (10,842) stations. This is because residential and other establishments in these areas are lower compared to other parts of the metro alignment, said officials.
“The travel model generated for the Revised Master Plan for Bengaluru 2031 has been used for the estimation of ridership for the proposed metro corridor to KIA. This metro line has been incorporated in the model. That assessment has been complemented by a subsequent study done by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) in 2016 for demand assessment of metro lines up to year 2041,” the report noted.
The K.R. Puram to KIA metro line is an extension of Phase II A line of Silk Board to K.R. Puram line. The total length of the line is 55 km. The metro train to the airport will likely originate from Silk Board.
In the absence of a mass transit system, at present, people are forced to use private vehicles or taxis to reach the airport. The proposed metro line is likely to help people living in Electronics City, Whitefield and eastern parts of the city.
On the other hand, the suburban rail project proposes a rail network from KSR Bengaluru to Devenahalli via Yeshwantpur. The South Western Railway (SWR) has said that a halt station on the boundary of KIA will be ready in August.