Railway Board considering Attipattu–Gummidipoondi line expansion proposal

CHENNAI: After over a year’s wait, the Railway Board is finally considering Southern Railway’s Rs 365.42crore proposal to construct third and fourth lines between Attipattu and Gummidipoondi -- a 22.52 km stretch that forms part of the high-density Delhi–Chennai route and the Chennai– Visakhapatnam and Chennai–Bengaluru industrial corridors.

The proposal, submitted under the national umbrella for multi-tracking and bypass lines to ease congestion, has received endorsements from key railway departments. The railway ministry’s formal approval is now awaited.

Once cleared, the project is expected to boost capacity, cut train detention time and generate an additional 8.71 million tonnes per annum of freight traffic. Financial and economic returns are pegged at 15.84% and 28.88%, respectively.

The stretch is already operating at full capacity, with utilisation projected to reach 107% by 2027–28. Southern Railway has completed the final location survey, and the alignment is free of major land acquisition issues.

But for residents and regular commuters in Gummidipoondi and Northern Chennai, the relief has been a long time coming.

“This is not a new demand. The proposal has been gathering dust for over a year,” said Suresh, a Gummidipoondi resident and advocate. “This delay has disrupted commute, freight flow, and our region’s economic momentum.”

The corridor serves hundreds of suburban and freight trains daily and directly connects to Ennore and Kamarajar ports, SIPCOT Industrial Park and North Chennai thermal plants. With suburban services recently upgraded from nine-car to 12-car EMUs, passenger volume has also surged.