Another suburban line from Tambaram to Chengalpattu.

Thousands of commuters from areas between Tambaram and Chengalpattu will, in a year’s time, have better access to Chennai Beach.

The Railway Board has sanctioned the detailed estimate of the Southern Railway’s proposal for a third broad gauge line from Tambaram to Chengalpattu.

A senior official of Southern Railway said the board has accepted the proposal to create a third line for 30 kilometres between the two towns. The proposal was sent along with the doubling work of Chengalpattu-Villupuram stretch.

Asked if any deadline was set for completing the project, the official said the Board’s consent was only an initial step. “There are other issues like floating tenders, identifying land for acquisition and selecting the contractor for the project.

However, the Southern Railway has set a tentative deadline of 2017 for completing the project.

The commissioning of the doubling work from Chengalpattu to Villupuram along with the third line between Tambaram and Chengalpattu will ensure dedicated tracks for operating additional suburban train services between Chengalpattu and Chennai Beach — which are about 250 a day now. The total project of the doubling between Chengalpattu and Villupuram (103 km) along with the third line project will be executed at an estimated cost of Rs. 951.24 crore.

Under this almost 83 km of doubling work at a cost of Rs. 663 crore has already been completed.


THE HINDU