Union Railway Minister approves fourth line project from Tambaram to Chengalpattu

The fourth line project from Tambaram to Chengalpattu has been accorded sanction by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The development comes at a time when the Tambaram railway station is being developed as the third railway terminal in Chennai by the Southern Railway, after Dr. MGR Chennai Central and Egmore railway stations.

According to a press release, the Union Railway Minister has approved the fourth line project between Tambaram and Chengalpattu at a cost of ₹713.56 crore. However, the escalation cost of the project has been estimated at ₹757.18 crore. The project will be executed by the Southern Railway under Plan head-15 doubling.

At present, the Tambaram-Chengalpattu section, in which track utilisation stands at 87%, only has three tracks, along which suburban and mail and express trains are being operated. The section serves as the mainline for train operations towards Villupuram, Tiruchi, and Kanniyakumari.

The fourth line project is expected to ease congestion, provide dedicated suburban train services, and promote a modal shift from road to rail, benefitting thousands of passengers.

The Union Railway Minister sanctioned the project based on the approval of the detailed project report submitted by the Southern Railway to the Railway Board, with the Chairman and other members giving the nod for the project.