Kamal Ghorui
Chennai: The Union Railway Board has ‘defreezed’ three railway line projects in Tamil Nadu that were on hold for nearly a decade. The projects include Tindivanam–Gingee–Tiruvannamalai (71.3 km), Attipattu–Puttur (88.3 km) and Chennai–Cuddalore via Mahabalipuram (179 km), according to a railway board communication dated March 2.The decision comes days after chief minister M K Stalin raised the issue of stalled railway infrastructure projects and demanded that the Union govt revive the long-pending projects.
Earlier in May 2025, the Southern Railway returned 42.7 crore allocated for the Tindivanam–Tiruvannamalai line after placing the project in abeyance. Another 52.13 crore that was allocated for the proposed Chennai–Mahabalipuram corridor was also returned, raising concerns that the project could be dropped. According to railway norms, even when funds are sanctioned in the railway budgets, expenditure cannot be made if a project was frozen, placed in abeyance or if the detailed project reports were not approved. The railway board’s decision came to light after Dayanand Krishnan, an activist from Tambaram, submitted a grievance to the Prime Minister’s Office, raising concerns over railway projects in Tamil Nadu. In his petition, he said the revised estimates for new line projects in the 2025-26 were reduced from 617 crore to 230 crore, while expenditure till Dec 2025 stood at 143 crore. In the reply on March 5, the PMO said the board defreezed three line projects on March 2. Southern Railway officials said the revival of the lines could help expand rail connectivity across northern and coastal parts of Tamil Nadu once land acquisition and funding processes move forward.
