Indian Railways approves Arakkonam-Chengalpattu doubling to boost Chennai suburban rail network

The Railway Board on Tuesday approved the construction of a 68-kilometre double line between Arakkonam and Chengalpattu in the Southern Railway zone to boost the Chennai suburban rail network.

''The section forms part of the important Chennai suburban circular rail network connecting Chennai Beach, Tambaram, Chengalpattu and Arakkonam,'' a press note from the Railway Ministry said without specifying a deadline to complete and operationalise the project.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project will play a significant role in easing congestion on the busy Chennai suburban rail network while improving punctuality and operational efficiency.

He added that the project will strengthen both passenger and freight movement across the corridor, benefiting transportation of key commodities including cement, automobiles, food grains, iron and steel.

Officials said the existing single line section is operating at a high level of capacity utilisation, and traffic is expected to increase further in the coming years, necessitating additional infrastructure augmentation.

''The doubling work will help reduce detention time of trains, improve punctuality and increase the frequency of suburban services,'' the ministry said.

It added, ''The route serves several major economic and industrial hubs, including Mahindra World City, Sriperumbudur, Oragadam and Irungattukottai, along with important automobile, cement and manufacturing industries.''.

The proposed Parandur Airport project near Kancheepuram is also located close to the alignment, further increasing the strategic importance of the route.

In September 2023, the ministry had granted approval to conduct its final location survey and by the end of 2025, the draft detailed project report was ready and under review.

On March 20, in the 110th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to evaluate infrastructure projects, the Railway Ministry had proposed the doubling project.

In the meeting, officials said the alignment will cover 12 stations, including the junction stations at Chengalpattu and Arakkonam, five crossing stations and five halt stations along the route.

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