Tamil Nadu: 7 years on, three rail projects on hold

CHENNAI: Three railway doubling projects in Tamil Nadu: 160 Km Katpadi–Villupuram, 160 km Salem–Karur–Dindigul and 65 km Erode–Karur lines have remained at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage for nearly seven years, even as they have been listed in successive Railway budgets with steadily increasing allocations and consistent demands

All three lines were taken up for doubling after surveys around 2019 and have figured in the Pink Book every year since 2020–21 with full project costs of Rs 1,601 crore, Rs 1,600 crore and Rs 650 crore respectively.

In the first two years, the projects existed only as token entries, carrying allocations of Rs 1. From 2022–23, allocations began to move, about Rs 1 lakh for Katpadi–Villupuram, Rs 1.5 crore for Salem–Karur–Dindigul and Rs1 crore for Erode–Karur.

Budget allocations rise, but work lags behind

The following year, the outlays increased to Rs 30 crore, Rs 20 crore and Rs 10 crore respectively. By 2024–25, all three projects were allocated Rs 150 crore each.

Despite this, the projects have not moved beyond the DPR stage. In the case of Katpadi–Villupuram, the DPR was under revision as recently as a few months ago, with estimates being worked out.

The three corridors themselves connect key parts of the State’s rail network. Katpadi–Villupuram links two major junctions handling long-distance passenger and freight movement, including trains connecting southern Tamil Nadu to northern and central parts of the country, as well as services towards Tirupati, Bengaluru and beyond. The single-line section has long been flagged for congestion, with passengers repeatedly seeking doubling to ease movement.

Salem–Karur–Dindigul connects industrial regions in the west to central and southern districts. Erode–Karur, though shorter, lies on a freight-heavy stretch linking multiple routes.

A significant portion of this cost is tied to Extra Budgetary Resources (Institutional Finance), meaning the projects are structured around funds raised through borrowing. The budget documents, even while listing these projects with increasing allocations, carry a condition that expenditure can begin only after the required approvals are in place.

As a result, three corridors that connect key junctions carry significant passenger and freight traffic, and have moved forward consistently in budget allocations over multiple years, but on the ground, they remain at the same stage, awaiting completion of DPR without moving to execution.