In a big boost to railway commuters of Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram, the Railway Board has given sanction to conduct a final location survey for the doubling of tracks on the Arakkonam-Chengalpattu section.
B. Guganesan, Chief Public Relations Officer of Southern Railway, sharing the details, said the expansion of seven railway lines had been proposed by the Railway Board and ₹7.80 crore was sanctioned to carry out the location survey for the projects, covering 390 km in total.
The Railway Board has planned to double the track from Arakkonam to Chengalpattu for a stretch of 68 km, with a bypass track connecting Palur and Paranur. The location survey for the doubling project will be carried out at ₹1.36 crore.
Of the remaining six projects, for which final location survey will be carried out shortly, four involves the commissioning of the third and fourth lines from Arakkonam to Jollarpet (145 km); Gummidipoondi to Sullurpet (70 km); Sullurpet to Gudur (55 km); and Korukkupet to Basin Bridge (5 km). The remaining two will take up the doubling of tracks on the Tiruchi-Karur and Cuddalore port-Cuddalore railway junction lines.
At present, the Chengalpattu-Arakkonam section has suburban train services only till Thirumalpur via Kancheepuram because of the presence of a single track. The section is used more as a freight corridor and remains unexplored for suburban passenger services.
