SWR to resume services to Kempegowda International Airport

Two pairs of DEMU trains to stop at KIA Halt station

After more than six months, South Western Railway (SWR) has decided to resume train services to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). From November 9, two pairs of DEMU services will stop at KIA Halt station.

Chief PRO of SWR Aneesh Hegde said two pairs of DEMU — Channapatna to Kolar and KSR Bengaluru to Kolar — will be operated via KIA Halt six days a week except Sundays. These two are in addition to six DEMU services that SWR will operate between Bengaluru and Kolar.

As per the schedule, train number 06383 will leave Channapatna at 4.50 p.m. and reach Kolar via Jnanabharathi Halt, KSR Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur, Yelahanka, and Devanahalli. From KSR Bengaluru, the train will leave at 6.05 p.m. reach KIA Halt at 7.07 p.m., and the final destination, Kolar, at around 9.30 p.m.

Train number 06384 will leave Kolar at 6.15 a.m., reach KIA Halt at 8.22 a.m. and KSR Bengaluru at 9.40 a.m.

The other train service is from KSR Bengaluru to Kolar via Cantonment, Byappanahalli, and Yelahanka. The train (number 06387) will leave KSR Bengaluru at 8.35 a.m. and reach KIA Halt at 9.48 a.m. Train number 06388 will leave Kolar at 2 p.m., reach KIA Halt at 4.08 p.m. This train service terminates at Cantonment at 5.30 p.m.

In January, SWR introduced train services to KIA. However, all the 10 train services were suspended in April citing poor occupancy. Between January and April, only 2,098 passengers used the train service. Officials said hardly 20 people used the train to commute between the city and the airport.

After suspension of the services, rail activists had demanded both SWR and BIAL to revisit train schedules to increase the patronage.

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