CHENNAI: The Union Ministry of Railways has stated that a Final Location Survey (FLS) has been sanctioned for laying third and fourth railway lines between Chengalpattu and Melmaruvathur, covering about 35 km via Madurantakam.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted in a reply at the Rajya Sabha that a survey has been approved for the preparation of a Detailed Project Report. The proposal is on the busy Chennai-Villupuram corridor, which handles suburban, passenger and freight traffic.
The Ministry said the project is at a preliminary stage and will require further approvals, including appraisal by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance, before it can be taken up for execution. No timeline has been fixed as of now. The update comes alongside the Tambaram-Chengalpattu fourth line project, which has already been sanctioned and is under execution.
The Railways also noted that as of April 2025, 15 projects spanning nearly 1,700 km have been sanctioned in Tamil Nadu, of which around 665 km have been completed. Several works are currently under way, including the Tambaram-Chengalpattu fourth line, Attipattu-Gummidipundi third and fourth lines, Chennai-Cuddalore new line via Mahabalipuram, and doubling projects such as Tirupati-Katpadi and Thiruvananthapuram-Kanniyakumari.
Of the 4,326 hectares required for ongoing projects in Tamil Nadu, only about 1,052 hectares, or 24 per cent, have been acquired so far. Many projects, including new lines such as Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai, Attipattu-Puthur and Mannargudi-Pattukkottai, have been affected by the acquisition delay.