CHENNAI: The Ministry of Railways has officially listed the Erode–Karur doubling project among the ongoing railway projects in Tamil Nadu, marking a key milestone for the long-pending proposal that had remained at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage for years.
The 67-kilometre project, estimated to cost Rs 986.35 crore, has featured in Railway planning documents for several years. The Erode–Karur doubling, along with the Salem–Karur–Dindigul and Katpadi–Villupuram doubling projects, had remained stuck at the DPR stage for seven years despite recurring allocations in successive Railway Pink Books.
The section forms part of the rail link connecting western Tamil Nadu with Tiruchy and the southern districts. Despite being a single-line section, it carries trains bound for Erode, Tirupur, Coimbatore and Salem, besides several inter-state services to Kerala and Karnataka, making it one of the busiest corridors in the region.
However, the lack of a second line has long been cited as a constraint in introducing additional train services. Passengers have long disdained delays in train arrivals and demanded more trains for western destinations including Pollachi.
Earlier this year, commuters staged a rail roko at Kulithalai railway station, alleging persistent delays on the Tiruchy–Karur route and demanding infrastructure improvements to ease congestion.
Meanwhile, the DPR for the Tiruchy-Karur doubling project has been submitted and is expected to be fast-tracked for sanction given its importance in providing freight movement to Karaikal.
The Lok Sabha reply also states that Tamil Nadu has 19 sanctioned railway projects worth Rs 27,282 crore, including eight doubling works.