Indian Railways Approves Rs 993 Crore Arakkonam–Chengalpattu Doubling Project

Indian Railways has approved the 68-km Arakkonam–Chengalpattu doubling project under Southern Railway at a cost of Rs 993 crore.

The project is aimed at improving safety, operational efficiency and rail capacity on the important Chennai suburban circular rail network.

The Arakkonam–Chengalpattu section connects key suburban corridors including Chennai Beach, Tambaram, Chengalpattu and Arakkonam, and is expected to support faster and more efficient passenger and freight movement in the Chennai region.

The Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Arakkonam-Chengalpattu Doubling Project will play a significant role in easing congestion on the busy Chennai suburban rail network while improving punctuality and operational efficiency. He said the project will strengthen both passenger and freight movement across the corridor, benefiting transportation of key commodities including cement, automobiles, food grains, iron and steel.

At present, the existing single line section is operating at a high level of capacity utilisation, and traffic is expected to increase further in the coming years, necessitating additional infrastructure augmentation. The doubling work will help reduce detention time of trains, improve punctuality and increase the frequency of suburban services.

The route serves several major economic and industrial hubs including Mahindra World City, Sriperumbudur, Oragadam and Irungattukottai, along with important automobile, cement and manufacturing industries. The proposed Parandur Airport project near Kancheepuram is also located close to the alignment, further increasing the strategic importance of the route.

The approval of the Arakkonam-Chengalpattu Doubling Project marks another significant step in Indian Railways’ ongoing efforts to modernise rail infrastructure, enhance network capacity and improve operational efficiency across key corridors. The project is expected to strengthen suburban and freight connectivity, support regional industrial growth and provide faster, safer and more reliable transportation services.