Tindivanam-Arani railway line prelim work begins

CHENNAI: In a move forward, Southern Railway has proposed to take up construction of a 79-km new broad gauge line from Tindivanam to Arani as part of the Tindivanam–Nagari new railway line project at an estimated cost of Rs 856 crore. The Railway plans to execute the work in two packages, from Tindivanam to Cheyyar (51.5 km) and from Cheyyar to Arani (27.5 km), under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode.

This marks the second tender under the project. In May this year, the Southern Railway floated tenders for constructing the Arani–Ranipet (28.5 km) and Sholinghur–Podatturpet (32.6 km) sections of the same corridor on EPC mode at a cost of Rs 736.14 crore.

The new line will connect Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tiruvallur districts in Tamil Nadu with Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh, with Tindivanam, Cheyyar and Arani serving as intermediate stations. Designed for speeds up to 130 kmph, the project will include 2x25 kV traction electrification, track formation, bridges, culverts and station buildings. The construction period has been fixed at two years.

Part of the larger 179-km Tindivanam–Nagari broad-gauge corridor, the project aims to establish a shorter route to the southern districts, decongest the Chennai–Arakkonam–Katpadi line, and enhance freight movement towards Mumbai.

It is also expected to provide direct rail access to several interior industrial and agricultural towns such as Arani and Cheyyar.

First proposed in the 2006–07 Railway Budget and sanctioned in 2008 at Rs 582 crore, the project, now revised to Rs 3,631 crore, has seen limited progress over the years. According to a Rajya Sabha reply tabled in November 2024, only 6 km between Walajah Road and Ranipet have been completed so far, with delays attributed to land acquisition and funding constraints.

The Southern Railway has sofar received about 85 per cent of the required land, including 582 of 688 hectares in Tamil Nadu and 39 hectares in Andhra Pradesh. Officials expect physical works to begin by early 2026 once bids are finalised.

When completed, the line is expected to boost connectivity, trade and regional development across southern Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.