The Ministry of Railways has approved the construction of a 68-kilometre double-line between Arakkonam and Chengalpattu in the Southern Railway zone, targeting congestion relief and improved operational efficiency on the Chennai suburban circular rail network connecting Chennai Beach, Tambaram, Chengalpattu, and Arakkonam.
The corridor, currently operating at high capacity utilisation, serves major industrial and economic hubs including Mahindra World City, Sriperumbudur, Oragadam, and Irungattukottai, anchoring significant automobile, cement, and manufacturing activity. The doubling is expected to improve train punctuality, reduce detention time, increase suburban service frequency, and strengthen freight movement of key commodities including iron, steel, cement, and food grains across the corridor.
The alignment will cover 12 stations, including junction stations at both ends, five crossing stations, and five halt stations. Strategic importance of the route is expected to grow further with the proposed Parandur Airport near Kancheepuram located in close proximity to the alignment. The project’s final location survey was approved in September 2023, with the detailed project report draft completed by the end of 2025. No completion deadline has been specified.
