Is Metro best option to link Kempegowda International Airport?

Bengaluru: While several options have been toyed with to make commuting easier to the Kempegowda International airport, could  the answer lie in extending the Metro Rail to it ?

Mr Srinidhi, a member of the Praaja RAAG advocacy group, believes that as the Metro's Phase 2 line begins at Gottigere and ends at Nagwara, it could be a good option.

"As the Nagawara line is the closest to the airport, extending it makes sense. Also, as the area is not very industrialised or populated there will be little land acquisition involved and the project could take three to four year to complete,” he says.

However, if this Metro line has to be profitable it cannot  cater exclusively to passengers heading for the airport, in his view. To make sure that it has a wider reach, the line could traverse through areas like Yelahanka before touching Thanisandra on the proposed Metro route, he suggests.

“This alignment would also be lighter on the  BMRCL's pockets as the line would not have to circumvent the airport but could go directly under the runway to reach the new terminal,” the activist suggests.

BMRCL managing director, Pradeep Singh Kharola, when contacted , said any decision on the line alignment would have to come from the government. “It is part of the budget, but we are waiting for its response," he explained.

While extending the Metro Rail to the airport has its advantages, Mr Srinidhi  warns that in the absence of integration of transport, it could lose passengers.

“For commuters who are not heading to the airport, hopping on to some other mode of transport could be a problem and lead to a lesser patronage for the Metro Rail and losses for the BMRCL,” he says.

As for the High Speed Rail Link (HSRL), although the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation  had prepared a detailed project report for a line running from MG Road to the airport, the idea was dropped.

" The HSRL is the same as the Metro except, there are no stops in between and it is meant exclusively for air passengers. The line suffered a loss in Delhi because it did not attract many commuters, " recalls Mr Srinidhi , adding that the Metro Rail could carry more people than HSRL. “Moreover, with the HSRL starting from Cubbon Road near MG Road, there would no proper integration with other modes of transport,” he maintains.

The activist feels  the commuter rail is a better option as its carrying capacity is  bigger and it is also  faster than the Metro. “Also, the line is already available. In cities like Boston,  people use the commuter rail to get to the airport,” he points out.