Travellers will soon be able to commute between Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport and Cantonment (Cantt) station in about 40 minutes. This new railway link aims to provide a faster, reliable alternative to road travel and ease the city’s traffic woes. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement on Saturday at the ET Startup Awards. The move is set to benefit both frequent commuters and tourists.
Reach Cantonment Station From Bangalore Airport In Just 40 Minutes
Inspection from railway station of Bengaluru Airport to Bengaluru Cant. station. pic.twitter.com/NJnvFI319P
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) October 5, 2024
The minister himself took the train from the airport to Cantt station, covering the distance in 35 minutes. The expected travel time for regular services would be around 40 minutes once the project is commissioned in a few months. The shortest route between the airport and Cantt station is approximately 32 kilometres, but road traffic often makes the travel time unpredictable. This new rail link is expected to cut the unpredictability and provide a quicker journey.
Minister of State for Railways and Tumakuru Lok Sabha member, V Somanna, is leading the project. Somanna has overseen substantial progress in bringing the railway line right into the airport premises. Vaishnaw mentioned that last year, Somanna inspected the project, and most of the planned work has been completed. This initiative will be a significant step forward for Bengaluru, where infrastructure upgrades are needed to keep pace with the city’s rapid expansion.
Enhanced Passenger Facilities
Significantly improving traffic capacity for Namma Bengaluru!
🚆 Circular trains
🚆 Metro expansion
🚆 Suburban rail corridors
🚆 Rail connectivity from Airport to City pic.twitter.com/AmZ3saDrZ7— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) October 5, 2024
At Cantt station, Vaishnaw reviewed the redevelopment work currently underway. He also inspected Yeshwantpur station, which is undergoing similar redevelopment. The project at Cantt station will create 18,000 square metres of additional space near the railway tracks, which is expected to enhance passenger facilities. The Cantonment and Yeshwantpur stations are part of a broader modernisation initiative involving 1,137 railway stations across India. This is being termed as the largest redevelopment challenge in the world, aimed at transforming the experience of train travel.
The redevelopment of these stations will be completed on a fast track. Vaishnaw stated that 1,050 stations are scheduled to be ready and inaugurated this year. The government is pushing to make these stations more passenger-friendly, with modern amenities and efficient use of available space.
The railway ministry has been busy expanding the railway network across the country. Last year, the ministry had a capital expenditure of $29 billion and constructed 5,300 kilometres of new railway tracks. Vaishnaw highlighted that this addition is greater than the entire rail network of Switzerland, underlining the scale of India’s railway expansion.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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