CHENNAI: The proposed fourth terminal for Chennai, originally planned at Villivakkam, will be established in Perambur. Southern Railway General Manager R N Singh made the announcement to press persons at the railway quarters on Wednesday. He added that there is sufficient land in Perambur for this development, and the proposal is being finalised.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed the media through video conferencing from New Delhi and said Tamil Nadu has been allocated Rs 6,362 crore in the sector for 2024-25. The allocation for 2022-23 stood at Rs 6,080 crore.
He also said that railway projects worth Rs 33,467 crore were underway in the state. Additionally, 77 stations are being developed. Vaishnaw mentioned that 2,500 general class coaches will be manufactured, and over the next few years, the railways plan to introduce 5,000 more coaches to accommodate unreserved travellers on all trains.
At the railway headquarters in Chennai, Singh mentioned that two additional lines will be laid from Perambur to Ambattur. Following this, the final proposal for the fourth terminal will be submitted to the railway board for approval. Addressing the delay in building Kilambakkam railway station between Vandalur and Urapakkam, Singh said the issues regarding who would construct it have been resolved. “The station will be ready by October,” he added.
The third terminal at Tambaram is being developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. “A detailed project report will be sent to the railway board, and work will commence accordingly. It may take some time to complete the project,” Singh said. He also noted that the railways have completed their portion of the rail over bridges at 40 locations, but the state government is yet to start work due to land acquisition issues.