News Brief
Indian Railways Clears Rs 757 Crore Fourth Rail Line Project To Ease Congestion On Tambaram–Chengalpattu Stretch
Tambaram railway station
The Ministry of Railways has given the green light to the fourth railway line between Tambaram and Chengalpattu, a 30.02 km stretch aimed at easing congestion and improving the efficiency of the busy Chennai rail corridor.
The project, sanctioned at a present cost of Rs 713.56 crore and an estimated completion cost of Rs 757.18 crore, will be executed by Southern Railway under Plan Head-15 (Doubling) as part of the ‘Energy, Mineral & Cement Corridor’ of Indian Railways.
The Tambaram–Chengalpattu section currently operates on three lines along the Chennai Beach–Villupuram–Tiruchchirappalli–Kanyakumari mainline, catering to a mix of suburban, mail, express, and freight traffic.
With line utilisation already at 87 per cent, and projected to soar to 136 per cent in the coming years, the new fourth line is expected to provide much-needed relief by decongesting the route and enhancing both passenger and freight movement.
The additional line will allow for the expansion of the suburban rail grid up to Chengalpattu, offering smoother and more reliable train services. The project is also expected to play a crucial role in reducing road dependency, promoting a modal shift to rail transport.
With the upcoming Kilambakkam railway station and bus terminal and the proposed airport near Kanchipuram, demand for rail travel in the corridor is set to rise significantly.
In addition to improving passenger convenience, the project is projected to generate 1.344 million tonnes of freight traffic annually, contributing an estimated Rs 157 crore in additional revenue post-commissioning.
The proposal has received endorsement from the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board along with senior board members overseeing infrastructure, finance, and operations.
