Railways approves Rs 993 crore Arakkonam-Chengalpattu doubling project to boost Chennai suburban rail network

CHENNAI: Indian Railways has approved the doubling of the 68 km Arakkonam–Chengalpattu railway line at an estimated cost of Rs 993 crore, a project expected to ease a major bottleneck in Chennai's suburban rail network and significantly expand passenger and freight capacity.

LINKS ECONOMIC, INDUSTRIAL HUBS; PARANDUR AIRPORT

The corridor, running through Kancheepuram, Thirumalpur, Thakkolam and Walajabad, currently operates as a single-line section with nine railway stations in between, including Reddipalayam, Villiambakkam, Palur, Palayasivaram, Nathapettai, and Old Kancheepuram. The section was operating at more than 104% to 105% of its designed capacity, with utilisation projected to rise further.

The doubling project forms a key part of the planned 192-km suburban circular rail grid connecting Chennai Beach, Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Arakkonam, Ranipet, and Avadi, before looping back into Chennai.

Upon completion, this is expected to become a dedicated suburban corridor linking Arakkonam and Chengalpattu through Kancheepuram, reducing dependence on the longer circular routing through Chennai Beach currently followed by several services. It could also substantially increase train handling capacity on the corridor, from around 13 trains a day to nearly 40 services.

The line serves one of the region's fast-growing commuter belts. The Beach–Tambaram–Chengalpattu suburban section records patronage of more than 10 lakh passengers daily, while the Thirumalpur side alone accounts for more than one lakh commuters. However, because of the single-line limitation, only a limited number of suburban services are currently extended beyond Chengalpattu towards Kancheepuram and Thirumalpur.

The corridor also serves industrial and manufacturing hubs including Mahindra World City, Sriperumbudur, Oragadam and Irungattukottai. The proposed Parandur airport near Kancheepuram is also located close to the alignment.

PRESENT LINE NEAR SATURATION LIMIT, SAYS MINSITER VAISHNAW

“At present, the existing double line section is operating at a high level of capacity utilisation, and traffic is expected to increase further in the coming years, necessitating additional infrastructure augmentation. The doubling work will help reduce detention time of trains, improve punctuality, and increase the frequency of suburban services,” the Railways said in a statement on Tuesday.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project would support both passenger and freight movement on the corridor, including transportation of cement, automobiles, foodgrains, iron, and steel.

The Railway Board had sanctioned the final location survey for the project in 2023, following which survey and land acquisition-related work was taken up. The Arakkonam–Chengalpattu section itself was converted from metre gauge to broad gauge and commissioned in 2019 after years of delay linked to land acquisition.