To beat harrowing road travel, take train to KIA

  • | Monday | 12th November, 2018

It is possible to travel from Yeshwantpur to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), a distance of around 35km, in less than an hour, spending a mere Rs 30. There are no feeder bus services from Doddajala station and Ola and Uber shared services charge about ?200 for the same 9km, 15-minute journey. First a perspective: A taxi ride from Yeshwantpur to KIA costs about ?800 and BMTC’s Vayu Vajra fare is ?230 (excluding GST). The train finally reached Doddajala at 11:35am.At Doddajala, it’s easy to flag down an empty private cab headed to the airport. In comparison, suburban train fare from Yeshwantpur to Doddajala station, located about 9km away from the airport, costs a mere ?10.In a bid to find an efficient alternative to exorbitant airport taxis, TOI conducted an experiment primarily using suburban train services .

BENGALURU: It’s no fantasy. It is possible to travel from Yeshwantpur to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), a distance of around 35km, in less than an hour, spending a mere Rs 30. First a perspective: A taxi ride from Yeshwantpur to KIA costs about ?800 and BMTC’s Vayu Vajra fare is ?230 (excluding GST). In comparison, suburban train fare from Yeshwantpur to Doddajala station, located about 9km away from the airport, costs a mere ?10.In a bid to find an efficient alternative to exorbitant airport taxis, TOI conducted an experiment primarily using suburban train services . This plan works best if one is travelling light.On Monday last week, a TOI reporter boarded the Yeshwantpur-Devanahalli DEMU passenger train (No 06595) which was scheduled to leave Yeswanthpur station at 10:35am. The departure was delayed by 10 minutes. On a weekday morning, when roads a chock-a-block with traffic, the train was empty, thanks to a combination of a lack of awareness and poor frequency of service. The reporter had an entire compartment to himself.The 25km journey took 40 minutes, but it was a pleasant departure from a noisy road ride. The train passes through Lottegollahalli, Kodigehalli, Yelahanka, Bettahalsoor and Doddajala stations and passengers are treated to sights of vast green fields, the restored freshwater Puttenahalli Lake near Yelahanka and breaths of fresh air. The train finally reached Doddajala at 11:35am.At Doddajala, it’s easy to flag down an empty private cab headed to the airport. Most drivers are glad to make a few extra bucks, charging airport-bound passengers about ?20 per seat (unofficial shared services). Of course, this is on the condition of minimum baggage. There are no feeder bus services from Doddajala station and Ola and Uber shared services charge about ?200 for the same 9km, 15-minute journey. The cab reached KIA at around 11:50am.

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