Southern Railway’s Multi-Tracking Plan On Attipattu–Gummidipoondi Stretch Edges Closer To Green Light

After over a year of delays, the Railway Board is reportedly considering Southern Railway’s proposal for constructing third and fourth railway lines along the 22.52 km Attipattu–Gummidipoondi stretch, Times of India reported.

The stretch is a vital segment of the high-density Delhi–Chennai route and key industrial corridors connecting Chennai with Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru.

Submitted under the national programme for multi-tracking and bypass lines, the Rs 365.42 crore project has already secured endorsements from crucial railway departments and is awaiting the formal nod from the Railway Ministry.

Once sanctioned, the project promises a substantial increase in line capacity, reduction in train detention times, and an anticipated freight traffic boost of 8.71 million tonnes annually.

Financial and economic rates of return for the project have been pegged at 15.84 per cent and 28.88 per cent, respectively.

Currently, the Attipattu–Gummidipoondi section is operating at full capacity, with projections indicating 107 per cent utilisation by 2027–28.

Southern Railway has completed the final location survey, with no significant land acquisition hurdles remaining.

The corridor plays a crucial role in the daily operations of hundreds of suburban and freight trains, directly linking strategic facilities like Ennore and Kamarajar ports, the SIPCOT Industrial Park, and the North Chennai thermal power plants.

With recent upgrades of suburban services from nine-car to 12-car Electric Multiple Units (EMUs), passenger volumes have surged, highlighting the urgency for expanding infrastructure.

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