From December 11 onwards, folks in Bengaluru will have the option to catch an electric train and head towards the beautiful Nandi Hills, which is a mere 60 km away from the city. The South Western Railway (SWR) has decided to expand the services of the Memu (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains that currently operate on the airport route, extending them from Devanahalli to Chikkaballapur.
The SWR has decided to extend the following train routes: 06531/06532 Bengaluru Cantonment-Chikballapur-Cantonment, 06535/06538 Chikkaballapur-Bengaluru Cantonment-Chikkaballapur, and 06593/06594 Yeswantpur-Chikkaballapur-Yeswantpur. This decision was made after the electrification between Yelahanka and Chikkaballapur was completed in March 2022. Although the electrification was finished earlier, the introduction of electric trains was delayed for various reasons, as reported by News18.
Presently, trains such as KSR Bengaluru-Kolar-Cantonment Diesel Multiple Unit (Demu) 06387/06388 and KSR Bengaluru – Kolar- KSR Bengaluru Demu 16549/16550 make stops at Nandi station.
These additional train services are anticipated to bring advantages not just to students, but also to farmers and visitors who are on their way to the 112-ft Adiyogi bust at Chikkaballapur’s Isha Foundation.
Nevertheless, there has been criticism regarding the absence of stoppages at certain stations such as Bettahalsoor, Doddajala, and Channasandra. Rajkumar Dugar, a rail activist, voiced concerns about this issue, attributing the lack of stoppages to the low wages provided to station agents.
SWR had initially organized a special rail tour on the Bengaluru-Devanahalli-Chikkaballapur route to highlight the rich history and picturesque spots. Kusuma Hariprasad, the Additional Divisional Manager of the Bengaluru division, shared that the restoration work for heritage stations like Doddajala, Devanahalli, Avatihalli, and Nandi halt is currently in progress. Once these stations are fully restored, there are plans to run an early morning train for visitors to witness the awe-inspiring sunrise at Nandi Hills.
The Devanahalli-Chikkaballapur railway line holds great historical significance as it was the first railway network established by private enterprise during Sir M Visvesvaraya's tenure as the Diwan of Mysore in 1915. Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapur, which is the birthplace of Sir M Visvesvaraya, adds another layer of historical importance to this railway line.
(With Input from the agencies)
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