Railway funds nearly double; long-stalled projects revived

Time of India

11-05-2025

Chennai: Faced with criticism from Tamil Nadu lawmakers, the Union railway ministry increased funding for long-pending new railway line projects in the state — raising allocation from 222 crore in 2024 to 395.4 crore this year.This is expected to revive nine key projects, including long-promised rail links connecting Chennai to Cuddalore via Mamallapuram, Sriperumbudur-Avadi-Guduvancherry route, and Tindivanam to Tiruvannamalai.For years, several of these lines were in limbo, with the railway board allocating token amounts of 1,000, technically not shelving them, but withholding progress.
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Last year, nearly 90% of the limited funds went just to the Tindivanam–Nagari and Dharmapuri–Morappur corridors.This year's fund boost is crucial. Some of these are projects first announced in 2007. With proper allocations now, civil work can finally begin," said Tambaram-based resident-activist Dayanand Krishnan, who obtained detailed records through RTI.Among the major allocations is 55 crore for the Madurai–Tuticorin via Aruppukottai line, a project that became controversial after Union railway ainister Ashwini Vaishnaw mistakenly said it was shelved because the Tamil Nadu govt opposed it. Following a rebuttal from state transport minister S S Sivasankar, Vaishnaw clarified that he misheard the question in a noisy press interaction. The 143-km project, after being sidelined last year, now has its budget tripled.However, residents and activists question whether the revised allocations are adequate. "Tuticorin district alone sought 15 crore just for land acquisition. How will 55 crore be enough for the entire project," asked R Srinivasan, an advocate from Madurai who frequently travels on this route. Similarly, the Tindivanam–Tiruvannamalai project needs at least 95 crore for acquiring 35 acres of land in Tiruvannamalai district alone, while the 2025 budget sets aside just 42.7 crore. "There is no point in allocating money for name's sake," said S Kamal, a transportation activist.Southern Railway officials maintain that the renewed allocations will jump-start implementation. Land acquisition is nearing completion for the Tindivanam–Nagari line, and final surveys are underway for the Avadi–Sriperumbudur–Guduvanchery corridor. Officials said civil work will commence as soon as pending procedural clearances are obtained.