CHENNAI: The Railway Board has approved the revival of three new railway line projects in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai-Cuddalore via Mahabalipuram (179.29 km), Athipattu-Puttur (88.3 km), and Tindivanam-Gingee-Tiruvannamalai (71.3 km).

The projects, sanctioned between 2007 and 2010, were kept in abeyance for a long time, failing to progress beyond preliminary stages. As no expenditure can be incurred on projects kept in abeyance, the progress has been constrained.

The Chennai-Cuddalore line via Mahabalipuram, one of the longest proposed new lines in Tamil Nadu, has recorded an expenditure of Rs 4.16 crore. Being planned along the East Coast Road corridor, the project too remained in abeyance and around Rs. 52.13 crore allocated for the corridor in 2025 was returned as works could not be taken up.

The Athipattu-Puttur line has seen limited progress, with only Rs 3.34 crore spent so far. The project, proposed to link north Chennai with Andhra Pradesh, did not move beyond initial stages, with minimal land acquisition cited in the railway's official responses.

The Tindivanam-Gingee-Tiruvannamalai line, announced in 2008 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,400 crore, has seen the highest expenditure among the three. As per Railway data, Rs 72.875 crore has been spent on surveys and initial works. The State had approved the acquisition of about 229.23 hectares as early as 2011, but the project stalled. And, about Rs 42.7 crore was allocated in 2025 to the project, but it was not spent and was returned.

Across the projects, the railways keeping the project in abeyance has been the primary constraint, with only a partial extent of the required land secured over the years, preventing them from moving to the construction stage. With the latest order, the Southern railway has been asked to take necessary action to advance the projects.