Stalled Madurai-Thoothukudi rail project revived

CHENNAI: The long pending Madurai-Thoothukudi broad gauge railway line project is now being revived as Southern railway floated Rs. 2.51cr consultancy tender for the unfinished Melmarudur-Tirupparankundram stretch. The new broad-gauge line, announced in the 2011-12 Railway Budget, spans 143.5 km.

While the 18 km Milavittan-Melmarudur section was completed by March 2022, the remaining stretch has remained stalled despite the State government issuing orders for land acquisition in 2023.

Earlier this year, an RTI reply by activist Dayanand Krishnan revealed that the project was frozen due to low freight prospects. Inadequate fund allocation and utilisation had also been cited as reasons for the prolonged delay.

The latest tender marks the first significant move on the balance section, inviting consultants to prepare the detailed engineering documents required before construction can begin. “The Madurai-Thoothukudi line is an important corridor but the project has remained only on paper for years,” said Krishanan. “Tamil Nadu should not depend on a single railway route between Chennai and Kanniyakumari. Alternate routes are essential, particularly during disruptions such as floods. Floating a tender is only the first step; adequate funding and timely execution are equally important.”

The scope of work includes carrying out the final location survey and a DGPS survey for nearly 120 km of the proposed alignment, besides preparing detailed alignment plans showing track geometry, station yards, bridges, level crossings, gradients, land boundaries etc. The consultant will also prepare General Arrangement Drawings (GADs) for 35 major and important bridges and 13 road overbridges (ROBs) and road underbridges (RUBs), along with hydraulic waterway and scour calculations for 35 major bridges and 182 minor bridges proposed along the route.

Southern Railway has also proposed to prepare the documents in three phases: Melmarudur-Nagalapuram, Nagalapuram-Kalkurichi, and Kalkurichi-Tirupparankundram. The consultant expected to complete the assignment within four months.