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Indian Railways has approved the Arakkonam-Chengalpattu Doubling Project (68 km) of Southern Railway at a cost of Rs 993 crore on Friday, reinforcing its commitment towards safer, faster and more efficient rail transportation across the country. The section forms part of the important Chennai suburban circular rail network connecting Chennai Beach, Tambaram, Chengalpattu and Arakkonam.
Railway Minister 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 double 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 of work will help reduce the 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. According to the indian railways, a major infrastructure blueprint has been approved to expand the Chennai Suburban Network by laying multiple additional tracks along its heavily congested commuter routes. The expansion drive includes adding a third and fourth line on the Attipattu - Gummidipundi stretch, constructing a fourth line connecting Tambaram to Chengalpattu, and setting up twin single lines between Ambattur and Villivakkam to ease train traffic. (ANI)
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