CHENNAI: The proposed Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi broad-gauge railway line, intended to restore the connection severed in 1964, is unlikely to come to fruition. Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone in January 2019, the 17.2-km new line project has remained stalled for five years. The state government has identified the planned route as an ecologically sensitive zone and informed the railways to either revise or drop the project.
Multiple sources from both the state government and the railways told TNIE the project stalled primarily due to the track’s alignment which passes through a highly fragile ecological zone. The 3(2) notifications for land acquisition, issued by the state government, has also been put on hold because the proposed line intersects with the Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi highway.
The original meter-gauge line from Dhanushkodi to Rameswaram was washed away during the devastating 1964 cyclone, which killed hundreds of people.
The government subsequently declared Dhanushkodi unfit for habitation, abandoning the town. However, three decades later, road connectivity was re-established with the construction of the national highway from Rameswaram to Dhanushkodi.
“At the time of finalising the alignment for the Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi NH, neither the state nor the union government anticipated a future railway line. Consequently, the highway was laid on the old MG railway route.
Since the new line cannot follow the old alignment, the railways proposed a new route for the BG line, which would pass through a fragile ecological zone which is considered the richest biomes for biodiversity,” a state government official said.
A total of 43.82 hectares of government land and 28.61 hectares of forest land in the section were to be transferred to the railways for the project. This includes land currently under the national highways.
Originally proposed at a cost of Rs 208.3 crore in 2018-19, the cost was later revised to Rs 733.91 crore following a field study by IIT and railway officials. It was suggested that the railway line be built 6.5 meters above road level with a boulder embankment to prevent flooding of tracks.
An official clarified that in a letter dated April 21, 2023, Chief Minister MK Stalin explained the challenges to Modi and requested a review or cancellation of the proposal.
A southern railway official said, “The last update we received was that the state government had withdrawn the land acquisition notification for the project. We are awaiting further direction from the Railway Board.”