Land acquisition delays hamper execution of railway projects in Tamil Nadu: Union Minister Vaishnaw

Execution of important infrastructure projects falling fully or partly in Tamil Nadu are held up due to delay in land acquisition, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

Replying to a question by Cuddalore Member of Parliament M. Vishnu Prasad in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Vaishnaw on Friday (December 5, 2025) said that in the last three financial years – FY23, FY24 and FY25, and in the current fiscal, 28 surveys (5 new lines and 23 doubling) covering a total length of 2,493 km have been sanctioned falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu.

The total land required for projects in Tamil Nadu was 4,326 Ha. Of this, only 24% of land (1,052 Ha) has been acquired and the balance 76 per cent (3,274 Ha) need to be acquired. Support of the Tamil Nadu government is needed to expedite the land acquisition, he said.

Some of the major projects delayed in the State due to land acquisition include the 71-km Tindivanam to Tiruvannamalai new line (71 Km); Attiputtu-Puttur new line (88 km); Morappur-Dharmapuri new line (36 km); Mannargudi-Pattukottai new line (41 km); and Thanjavur-Pattukottai new line (52 km), he said.

Further, Rameshwaram – Dhanushkodi New Line (18 km) was sanctioned at a cost of ₹734 crore. The foundation stone of the project was laid on March 1, 2019. However, the project could not be started because the land acquisition has not been undertaken by the Tamil Nadu government, he said.

Mr. Vaishnaw said that the Centre is geared up to execute projects. However, success depends upon the support of the Tamil Nadu government.

Budget allocation for railway projects in Tamil Nadu in recent years has increased significantly. In 2009-14, the allocation was ₹879 crore/year while in 2025-26 it has increased to ₹ 6,626 crore, he said.

As on April 1, 2025, a total of 15 projects (9 New Line, 03 Gauge Conversion and 03 Doubling) of 1,700 km length, costing ₹22,808 crore, falling fully/partly in Tamil Nadu, are sanctioned. Of this, 665 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹7,591 crore has been incurred up to March 2025.

To another question on the present status of the new railway line from Chennai to Cuddalore via Mahabalipuram, the Minister said that the Puducherry government had requested a change in alignment towards the northern and southern sides of the existing Villupuram-Puducherry rail line and sought double line tracks between Puducherry and Cuddalore.

As the revision of alignment was based on the request of the Union Territory, the Centre had asked the Puducherry government to bear the cost. However, the U.T. government expressed its inability to incur the additional expenditure for realignment and doubling of the track.