Five Tamil Nadu Railway Projects Frozen or Delayed

09 Sep 2025 CW Team

Responding to an RTI query by citizen Naveen B, Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) J Kumarasubramanian confirmed that the Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai project is on hold, pending the submission of a detailed project report (DPR) as requested by the Railway Board. The DPR for the Sriperumbudur-Guduvancheri line is currently under preparation.

He further noted that the Madurai-Thoothukudi route via Aruppukkottai, a 143.5-km new line, is being shelved due to low freight potential. Although work on the 18-km Milavittan-Melamarudur stretch has been completed, the Erode-Palani new line has also been frozen.

Land acquisition for the Tiruvannamalai-Tindivanam line had been approved in 2011, covering 229.23 hectares. However, progress has stalled. According to a previous RTI response to activist Dayanand Krishnan, cumulative expenditure up to March 2025 includes Rs 728.75 million for the Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai project, Rs 14.8 million for Erode-Palani, Rs 41.6 million for Chennai-Cuddalore, Rs 33.4 million for Attipattu-Puttur, and Rs 12.4 million for Sriperumbudur-Guduvancheri.

Krishnan criticised the delays, especially given Tiruvannamalai’s significance as a pilgrimage site. “The Southern Railway must complete projects that have high potential for passenger use. Land acquisition is repeatedly cited as a bottleneck, yet agencies like the NHAI complete their projects efficiently. A dedicated coordination agency between the Railways and the state government is needed,” he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had earlier submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting execution delays and urging the central government to revive and expedite these infrastructure projects.

Several railway infrastructure projects in Tamil Nadu have either been put on hold or frozen, according to recent disclosures from the Indian Railways’ Construction Department. These include three new railway line proposals — Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai, Attipattu-Puttur, and Chennai-Cuddalore — which have been kept in abeyance. In addition, the Madurai-Thoothukudi line via Aruppukkottai and the Erode-Palani route have been officially frozen by the Railway Board.Responding to an RTI query by citizen Naveen B, Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) J Kumarasubramanian confirmed that the Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai project is on hold, pending the submission of a detailed project report (DPR) as requested by the Railway Board. The DPR for the Sriperumbudur-Guduvancheri line is currently under preparation.He further noted that the Madurai-Thoothukudi route via Aruppukkottai, a 143.5-km new line, is being shelved due to low freight potential. Although work on the 18-km Milavittan-Melamarudur stretch has been completed, the Erode-Palani new line has also been frozen.Land acquisition for the Tiruvannamalai-Tindivanam line had been approved in 2011, covering 229.23 hectares. However, progress has stalled. According to a previous RTI response to activist Dayanand Krishnan, cumulative expenditure up to March 2025 includes Rs 728.75 million for the Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai project, Rs 14.8 million for Erode-Palani, Rs 41.6 million for Chennai-Cuddalore, Rs 33.4 million for Attipattu-Puttur, and Rs 12.4 million for Sriperumbudur-Guduvancheri.Krishnan criticised the delays, especially given Tiruvannamalai’s significance as a pilgrimage site. “The Southern Railway must complete projects that have high potential for passenger use. Land acquisition is repeatedly cited as a bottleneck, yet agencies like the NHAI complete their projects efficiently. A dedicated coordination agency between the Railways and the state government is needed,” he said.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had earlier submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting execution delays and urging the central government to revive and expedite these infrastructure projects.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..