CHENNAI: The TVK-led coalition government has taken a significant step towards reviving one of the Delta region’s long-pending railway projects by granting administrative sanction for land acquisition for the proposed Mannargudi–Pattukkottai broad gauge railway line, a move expected to strengthen connectivity and improve transport infrastructure in Thanjavur district.
A Government Order issued by the State government has approved the acquisition of 107.13 hectares of land across Nadiyammapuram and 14 other villages in Pattukkottai taluk. The acquisition includes 89.49 hectares of patta land, comprising 24.06 hectares of wetland, 58.13 hectares of dry land, 6.64 hectares of manavari land and 0.65 hectares of ryot manai, besides the transfer of 17.63 hectares of government poramboke land under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, 1997.
The order also provides for the creation of 13 temporary posts, including a Special Tahsildar (Land Acquisition), survey officials, revenue inspectors and supporting staff, to expedite the acquisition process. The Thanjavur District Revenue Officer has been appointed as the Land Acquisition Officer, while Southern Railway will bear the entire establishment cost.
“The proposal has been approved after examining the recommendations of the District Collector and the Commissioner of Land Administration,” the government said in the GO.
The decision comes amid persistent demands from residents of Pattukkottai and surrounding villages for better rail connectivity. The region, home to more than 100 villages, has long complained of inadequate train services despite the completion of the Tiruvarur–Pattukkottai–Karaikudi broad gauge conversion.
The railway corridor traces its origins to 1902 when the metre gauge line was laid. The Kamban Express served the route until 2012, when services were suspended for gauge conversion. Although trains resumed after the broad gauge works, residents say the number of services remains inadequate.
For decades, local organisations have pressed for new broad gauge lines connecting Thanjavur–Pattukkottai and Mannargudi–Pattukkottai, besides seeking a daily overnight express linking Rameswaram and Chennai Egmore via Tiruvarur, Pattukkottai and Karaikudi.
The Thanjavur–Pattukkottai railway proposal has witnessed several unsuccessful attempts over the years. First conceived during the British era in 1932, the project was revived in 2000 with an estimated cost of Rs 101 crore before being shelved on viability grounds. In 2012, the Railway Ministry sanctioned a preliminary survey with an allocation of Rs 7 lakh, followed by a proposal to build a 47.2-km line at Rs 290.5 crore, later revised to Rs 400 crore in 2015. None of these proposals progressed beyond the planning stage.