Bengaluru: First electric train service to Nandi Hills from December 11

Nandi halt station

Starting December 11, residents of Bengaluru could travel to Nandi Hills, a popular weekend destination around 60 km from the city, aboard an electric train.

South Western Railway (SWR) has decided to extend Memu (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains operating on the airport route from Devanahalli to Chikkaballapur from December 11. The trains are: 06531/06532 Bengaluru Cantonment-Chikballapur-Cantonment, 06535/06538 Chikkaballapur-Bengaluru Cantonment-Chikkaballapur, and 06593/06594 Yeswantpur-Chikkaballapur-Yeswantpur.

The electrification between Yelahanka and Chikkaballapur was completed in March 2022, but the introduction of electric trains on the route was delayed by SWR due to multiple reasons.

At present, trains like 06387/06388 KSR Bengaluru-Kolar-Cantonment Diesel Multiple Unit (Demu) and 16549/16550 KSR Bengaluru - Kolar- KSR Bengaluru Demu make halts at Nandi station.

Siddharth Raja, a history buff residing in Nandi Hills, told Moneycontrol, "The distance from Nandi Station to the Bhoganandishwara temple at the foothills of Nandi Hills is approximately 1.4 km. To reach the top of Nandi Hills, you'll need to cover an additional 15-18 km. The absence of multi-modal public or general transport (buses, autos, etc.) from the Nandi Halt train station to the sites is detrimental to any practical use of this train station, be it for work or leisure." He suggests that the South Western Railway (SWR) should focus on reducing travel time.

Manju Nair, a college student and rail enthusiast, said: "The proposed morning Memu train from the city reaching Nandi halt station at 6:37 am may be too late for those who want to enjoy the sunrise at Nandi hills."

He said that students, farmers, and those going to visit the 112-ft Adiyogi bust at Chikkaballapur (Isha Foundation) would also benefit from the extension of services to Chikkaballapur.

However, these trains have no stoppages at stations like Bettahalsoor, Doddajala, and Channasandra. Rajkumar Dugar, a rail activist said: "These trains should stop at intermediate stations, including  Bettahalsoor. But SWR is not providing stoppages at these stations because no agents are ready to take up the job of manning the halt stations at just Rs 1,500 a month,"

SWR had earlier planned a one-day tour package on the 108-year-old Bengaluru-Devanahalli-Chikkaballapur heritage rail route. Plans include restoring heritage stations, scheduling trains for sunrise at Nandi Hills, visits to Devanahalli Fort, the Adiyogi bust at Chikkaballapur (Isha Foundation), and other historical landmarks.

Kusuma Hariprasad, Additional Divisional Manager (Bengaluru division), told Moneycontrol: "SWR, along with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), has already restored three heritage stations on this route: Doddajala, Devanahalli, and Avatihalli, and the Nandi halt restoration work will be completed in two months. Once it is completed, we will operate an early train so visitors can catch the sunrise at Nandi Hills."

Sir M Visvesvaraya's birthplace is in Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapur, and the railway line from Devanahalli to Chikkaballapur was the first railway network in the country established by private enterprise (public-private partnership) during Sir M Visvesvaraya's tenure as the Diwan of Mysore in 1915.