Railway Minister approves 4th Line project between Tambaram & Chengalpattu
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways of India
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has accorded approval for the construction of a 4th Railway Line between Tambaram and Chengalpattu (30.02 km) at a present cost of ₹714 crore and an estimated completion cost of ₹757 crore.
The project will be executed by Southern Railway (SR) under Plan Head-15 (Doubling), identified as part of the ‘Energy, Mineral & Cement Corridor’ of Indian Railways. The minister accorded approval for the crucial project and the SR is poised to take up this vital capacity augmentation work at the earliest, says a release from SR.
The Tambaram – Chengalpattu section is presently a three-line stretch on the Chennai Beach – Villupuram – Tiruchchirappalli – Kanyakumari mainline, serving both suburban and long-distance mail/express trains. Due to its heavy utilization carrying suburban, Mail/Express, and freight traffic, the section experiences frequent congestion, impacting punctuality and capacity expansion, the release said.
At present, the section’s line capacity utilisation stands at about 87 per cent, which is projected to rise to 136 per cent if the project is not implemented. The proposed 4th line will ease congestion, enable the extension of the dedicated suburban grid up to Chengalpattu, and promote a modal shift from road to rail, benefiting both passenger and freight traffic, the release says.
With growing suburban traffic and large-scale residential and industrial development in and around Tambaram, Guduvancheri, Chengalpattu, and Sriperumbudur, Tambaram – Chengalpattu fourth line will be a boon for daily commuters, School & College students, Office goers, IT Professionals and Govt. employees. The project will greatly benefit commuters bound for Tamil Nadu’s southern districts, thus easing congestion and enabling smoother suburban train operations to the upcoming Kilambakkam railway station and thereby to the new Kilambakkam bus terminal, improving connectivity for daily commuters, the release says.
The upcoming airport near Kanchipuram will intensify travel demand in the corridor. Upon development of Tambaram as a major coaching terminal, the new line will meet the future traffic requirements, segregating suburban and Express services, improving operational efficiency and reduction of travel time for passengers, the release said.
Cargo traffic
The project is also expected to generate additional freight traffic of 1.3 million tonnes per annum, resulting in additional earnings of ₹157 crore after commissioning as the section covers many industrial units and SIPCOTs between Oragadam, Padappai and Kanchipuram, says the release.
The proposal has been endorsed by the Chairman& CEO of Railway Board, Member (Infra), Member (Operations & Business Development), Member (Finance) of Railway Board, the release said.
Published on October 22, 2025
