Chennai, Sept 9:
Railway projects in Tamil Nadu recorded sluggish progress in 2025-26, with only ₹192.54 crore, or 31 per cent, of the ₹617.76 crore allocated for 10 new railway line projects being utilised, according to information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The 10 projects together cover 870.78 km and have an estimated cost of ₹16,841.34 crore. Despite the low utilisation of funds during 2025-26, the allocation for these projects has been reduced to ₹497.57 crore for 2026-27.
The Tindivanam-Nagari railway line accounted for the bulk of expenditure during the previous financial year. Of the funds allocated, ₹169.28 crore was utilised for the 184.45-km project. Sanctioned in 2006 at an estimated cost of ₹3,631.34 crore, the project has achieved only 16 per cent physical progress.
The Madurai-Thoothukudi railway line via Aruppukkottai utilised ₹12.19 crore, while the Morappur-Dharmapuri project spent ₹10.72 crore. The Rameshwaram-Dhanushkodi project recorded expenditure of just ₹0.35 crore.
Four projects — Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai, Chennai-Mahabalipuram-
The funding pattern for 2026-27 has raised further concerns. Tindivanam-Gingee-
The allocation for the Tindivanam-Nagari project has also been reduced from ₹347.7 crore in 2025-26 to ₹334.7 crore this year, even though it accounted for most of the expenditure among the 10 projects.
A major portion of the current year’s allocation is concentrated on the Tindivanam-Nagari project, with ₹334.7 crore, and the Sriperumbudur-Guduvanchery Phase-I project, which has received ₹100 crore.
The Sriperumbudur-Guduvanchery project, estimated to cost ₹3,136 crore, covers 60 km and is intended to provide cargo connectivity between the Chennai Peripheral Industrial Corridor and Chennai Port.
Funding constraints are also visible in railway doubling and multi-tracking projects in the State. The Katpadi-Villupuram project has received just ₹2 crore in 2026-27, sharply down from ₹200.45 crore allocated in 2025-26.
Similarly, allocations for the Salem-Karur-Dindigul and Erode-Karur doubling projects have been reduced to ₹5 crore each from ₹100 crore each in the previous year.
The 14 doubling and multi-tracking projects together cover about 658 km and have an estimated project cost of ₹8,173.35 crore. However, the combined allocation for these projects in 2026-27 stands at only ₹342.10 crore.
The figures have renewed concerns over the pace of railway infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu, particularly for projects that have remained pending for several years and are crucial for improving connectivity, passenger movement and freight infrastructure.