Indian Railways Cancels Trains To Bengaluru Airport; Passengers Anguished

South Western arm of the Indian Railways has cancelled the Memu trains express train operating to and from Kempegowda International Airport railway station. The decision from the transporter has been made considering the low passenger volume on the route. As per Money Control's report, the occupancy rate on the route is falling below 5 percent, and it is facing a severe shortage of crew members. However, the decision of the Indian transporter is not sitting well with the passengers travelling.

As per the report, the rate of cancellation of trains increased immediately after the Karnataka assembly elections. The report comes at a time when the number of passengers travelling to the Kempegowda International Airport has increased and is facing congestion and increasing prices. The passengers travelling on the route are struggling because of these changes and are expressing their frustration on social media sites.

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List Of Cancelled Trains

The list of cancelled trains includes 06531 KSR Bengaluru City - Devanahalli, 06533 Devanahalli - Yelahanka, 06534 Yelahanka - KIA, 06535 Devanahalli - Bengaluru Cantonment, 06536 Bengaluru Cantonment - Devanahalli, 06537 Devanahalli - Bengaluru Cantonment, 06538 Bengaluru Cantonment - Devanahalli, 06539 Devanahalli - Yelahanka, 06540 Yelahanka - Devanahalli, 06532 Devanahalli - KSR Bengaluru.

Some other trains include 6382 Kolar - Bengaluru Cantonment express (cancelled between Byappanahalli and Cantonment), 06387 KSR Bengaluru - Kolar (cancelled between KSR Bengaluru and Byappanahalli), 06388 Kolar - Bengaluru Cantonment (cancelled between Byappanahalli and Bengaluru Cantonment), and 06381 Bengaluru Cantonment - Kolar (cancelled between Bengaluru Cantonment and Byappanahalli).

Bengaluru Airport Passenger Volume

There has been a surge in airport visitors, said Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which manages KIA. With a total of 31.91 million passengers passing through the airport, Bengaluru Airport reported an increase in passenger numbers compared to the prior fiscal year. During this time, 3.78 million international passengers and 28.12 million domestic passengers made up the total.

Comparing FY22 to FY23, the domestic sector had an increase of 85%, while the overseas sector saw an increase of 245%. With 114,299 people travelling through the airport on February 26, 2023, it recorded the greatest number of passengers for FY23 and the largest number of travellers in a single day since its opening in 2008.