Arakkonam-Takkolam EMU route from this year

A day after the Commissioner of Rail Safety (CMRS) inspected the newly laid Broad Gauge line between Arakkonam and Takkolam railway stations in Arakkonam – Kanchipuram- Chengalpattu section, General Manager of Southern Railway (SR) R K Kulshrestha had announced that it has planned to complete the 10km line this year.

“We are targeting to complete Takkolam - Arakkonam (10 Km) line this year, which was pending for years together, so that we can start circular EMU services via Kanchipuram, significantly enhancing the connectivity of Chennai suburban services,” Kulshrestha announced in his Republic day speech on Saturday.

The project was delayed due to difficulty in electrifying the 6km stretch from Arakkonam to Thakkolam bypassing the air strip of INS Rajali. Southern Railways, in fact, had increased the distance by 2km to avoid the air strip for after defense and home ministries declined railways request to electrify the existing line or construct a new electrified line through INS Rajali. Once completed, the new line would help increase frequency on the route.

The newly electrified line would help extend Beach - Chengalpet and Beach - Tirumalpur EMUs to Arakkonam as well as MMC-Arakkonam and MMC-Tiruvallur trains to Tirumalpur or Chengalpet orKancheepuram.