South Western Railway (SWR) announced the extension of the Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (Memu) trains on the airport route from Devanahalli to Chikkaballapur, starting today, December 11. The decision to extend the line will help Bengaluru residents easily travel via an electric train to their most famous weekend destination, Nandi Hills, which is 60 km from the city. In March 2022, the electrification between Yelahanka and Chikkaballapur was concluded; however, the introduction of the electric train on the line was further postponed by SWR due to multiple reasons.
The train numbers:
According to the MoneyControl report, the train included are as follows: a) 06593/06594 Yeswantpur-Chikkaballapur-Yeswantpu, b) 06531/06532 Bengaluru Cantonment-Chikballapur-Cantonment, and c) 06535/06538 Chikkaballapur-Bengaluru Cantonment-Chikkaballapur.
Trains including a) 16549/16550 KSR Bengaluru-Kolar-KSR Bengaluru Demu and b) 06387/06388 KSR Bengaluru-Kolar-Cantonment Diesel Multiple Unit (Demu) presently make halts at the Nandi station.
While in conversation with Money Control, Siddharth Raja, a resident of Nandi Hills and a history lover, said that the Bhoganandishwara temple, located at the base of Nandi Hills, is nearly 1.4 km from Nandi Station. The tourists need to travel an extra 15-18 km to reach the top of Nandi Hills, suggesting that the South Western Railway should prioritise travel time reduction, he explained.
Electric trains will not make a stop at these stations:
The electric trains will not stop at stations like Bettahalsoor, Doddajala, and Channasandra. According to a rail activist, Rajkumar Dugar, "These trains should stop at intermediate stations, including Bettahalsoor. However, SWR does not provide stoppages at these stations as no agents are willing to work at Rs 1,500 per month at the halt station."
The plan included heritage station redevelopment
SWR previously organised a one-day tour package along the 108-year-old heritage rail route that connects Bengaluru, Devanahalli, and Chikkaballapur. According to the report, the programs include heritage station renovation, visiting Devanahalli Fort, planning trains for sunrise at Nandi Hills, and the Adiyogi bust in Chikkaballapur (Isha Foundation), among other historical places.
The country's first private railway line began from Devanahalli to Chikkaballapur
The very first railway line to be established by private enterprise (public-private partnership) in the country was the line starting from Devanahalli to Chikkaballapur during the rule of Sir M Visvesvaraya's term as the Diwan of Mysore in 1915. Sir M Visvesvaraya's birthplace is Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapur.
