Major railway expansion projects in Tamil Nadu are facing significant delays primarily due to the state government's slow progress in acquiring the necessary land, the Union Railway Ministry has informed Parliament. This bottleneck persists despite the Centre sanctioning a substantial ₹6,626 crore last year for new projects in the state, marking the highest allocation in two decades.
Critical Land Shortage Halts Key Projects
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw provided a stark breakdown of the land acquisition status. For five crucial projects—Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai, Morappur-Dharmapuri, Mannargudi-Pattukkottai, Thanjavur-Pattukkottai, and Attipattu-Puttur—a total of 905 hectares is required. However, the Tamil Nadu government has so far acquired only 78 hectares, which accounts for a mere 9% of the needed land.
The situation is similarly challenging for other planned railway works in the state. An additional 4,326 hectares are needed for future projects, of which only 1,052 hectares (approximately 24%) have been procured. The minister emphasized that the success of these infrastructure initiatives heavily depends on state cooperation.
Railways Push Forward Despite Hurdles
Despite the limited support on land acquisition, the Railways Ministry stated it has continued to advance work on sanctioned projects. Minister Vaishnaw highlighted that 15 projects involving new lines, gauge conversion, and doubling are currently underway. A significant ₹7,591 crore has already been expended from a larger total outlay of ₹22,808 crore.
Several recently completed works that fall partly or fully within Tamil Nadu include:
- The Dindigul-Palani-Pollachi gauge conversion.
- The Quilon-Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur gauge conversion.
- The Madurai-Bodinayakannur conversion.
- The Chengalpattu-Villupuram doubling.
- The Chennai Beach-Korukkupet third and fourth lines.
Long-Pending Projects and Administrative Decisions
The minister specifically addressed the Rameswaram–Dhanushkodi line, sanctioned in 2019 at a cost of ₹734 crore. He stated, "Govt of India is geared up to execute projects, however, success depends upon the support of govt of Tamil Nadu."
Another long-delayed project is the 178-km Chennai-Cuddalore line via Mamallapuram and Puducherry, announced back in 2008. This project remains stuck as the Puducherry government has communicated its inability to bear the additional costs arising from alignment changes and doubling work.
In a separate parliamentary reply, the ministry also addressed an administrative request from Tamil Nadu. The state's proposal to transfer Pollachi and Kinathukkadavu stations from the Palakkad division to the Salem division was declined. The ministry deemed the change "not feasible at this stage."
The ongoing impasse over land acquisition highlights a critical coordination challenge between central funding and state-level execution, potentially delaying the modernization and expansion of Tamil Nadu's rail network and affecting regional connectivity and economic growth.
