Railway allots Rs 6.7K crore for Tamil Nadu this year works stalled for 20 yrs to resume

CHENNAI: After facing severe backlash from both rail passengers and the ruling DMK government over inadequate funding for new lines and doubling projects last year, the Railways significantly enhanced its budget allocation for 2025-26. A total of Rs 612.8 crore has been earmarked for eight new line projects, compared to Rs 339 crore the previous year.

Among these, the Nagari-Tindivanam new line project, for which 95% of land has already been acquired, received Rs 347 crore. A total of Rs 6,626 crore was allocated for Tamil Nadu for 2025-26. The funding details were obtained through an RTI request filed by TNIE and activist Dayanand Krishnan, as the Railways have stopped publishing the Pink Book, which traditionally disclosed the annual budget allocations. The Madurai-Thoothukudi (via Aruppukottai) project (143.5km), for which the land acquisition unit was dismantled last year for want of funds, has been allotted Rs 55.2 crore. Notably, the long-delayed Erode-Palani new line, which has existed only on paper for nearly 20 years, received Rs 50 crore. The Chennai-Cuddalore new line via Mahabalipuram was also granted Rs 52.1 crore. Allocation for doubling projects has also shown significant improvement

Rs 42 crore for new rly line from North Chennai to Puttur The Katpadi-Villupuram (160 km) section received Rs 200 crore, while the Salem-Karur-Dindigul (160 km) and Erode-Karur (65 km) lines each received Rs 100 crore. Last year, each of these projects was allocated a mere Rs 1,000.


 

for expansion with the introduction of new railway lines. Increased funding has revived the state’s hopes of improving rail connectivity, which has seen minimal progress over the past 40 years. Further, the long-delayed 184.45-km Nagari-Tindivanam line — set to connect rural and semi-urban areas across Ranipet, Vellore, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, and Villupuram districts in TN as well as Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh —is now expected to be completed within the next three years, said sources. Out of the total stretch, 6.5km of the line from Walajah Road to Ranipet was constructed in 2008 and opened for goods traffic in November 2020. Last year, Southern Railway’s Construction Wing began work on two segments: Nagari to Podatturpettai (13 km) and Walajah Road to Sholinghur (20 km).

Land levelling has been completed, and track laying has commenced in some sections. For the fiscal year 2025-26, new line construction is scheduled for two key stretches, 28.5km from Podatturpettai to Sholingur, and 32 km from Ranipet to Arani. In the first phase, 100.5 km of the new line from Arani to Nagari is planned for completion, said officials. Activist Dayanand Krishnan told TNIE that the increased budget for infrastructure development is a welcome move by the railways. “For years, new line projects in TN failed to take off. With funding now earmarked for routes like Palani-Erode and Chennai-Cuddalore, the TN government may begin the land acquisition process. However, the Railways must allocate more funds in the coming years,” he added. Additionally, the Railways allocated Rs 42.7 crore for the construction of a new railway line from Athipattu in North Chennai to Puttur, located 15 km from Nagari. This new line will support freight movement from Athipattu to Tindivanam via Puttur, Nagari, Ranipet, and Arani, thereby enhancing connectivity to Puducherry and Cuddalore ports. Last year, CM M K Stalin had written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urging the allocation of sufficient funding for the state’s railway projects.