CHENNAI: The Gummidipoondi Railway Passengers Welfare Association (GRPWA) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite the Rs 365.42-crore third and fourth railway line project between Athipattu and Gummidipoondi, pointing out that work has not commenced despite the Railway Board approving the project last year and Southern Railway completing the tender process nearly two months ago.
In a representation, the association appealed to the Prime Minister, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and senior railway officials to intervene and ensure the immediate commencement of the project.
The Railway Board sanctioned the 22.52 km project on July 2, 2025. The Athipattu-Gummidipoondi stretch forms part of the Chennai-Athipattu-Gummidipoondi-Gudur corridor, one of the busiest railway routes, carrying suburban and MEMU services, long-distance mail and express trains, besides freight traffic round the clock.
“The suburban train service to Gummidipoondi started in 1985. More than 10 lakh people depend on this corridor. Even today, it takes nearly two hours to travel from Gummidipoondi to Chennai Central because trains are frequently held up for signals,” S Suresh Babu, president of the Gummidipoondi Railway Passengers Welfare Association, told DT Next.
While third and fourth railway lines were laid in phases between Chennai Central and Athipattu between 2012 and 2023, those additional tracks have largely been used for freight movement, leaving the bottleneck beyond Athipattu unresolved. Suresh Babu noted suburban passengers continue to bear the brunt of congestion as trains are frequently made to wait for express services.