Executive Summary:
This document addresses Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 391 regarding the construction of a broad gauge railway line between Theni and Erumeli. A survey has been sanctioned to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 95 km Theni-Erumeli new line. Project sanctioning depends on stakeholder consultations, NITI Aayog appraisal, and Ministry of Finance approvals. Project completion timelines cannot be fixed due to the dynamic nature of the process.
Key Points / Main Content:
**Theni-Erumeli Railway Line**
* A survey for the Theni-Erumeli new line (95 km) has been sanctioned to prepare the DPR.
* Project sanctioning requires consultation with state governments, NITI Aayog appraisal, and Ministry of Finance approvals.
* Exact project timelines cannot be fixed due to the continuous and dynamic nature of project sanctioning.
**Budget Allocation for Tamil Nadu Railway Projects**
* Tamil Nadu's budget allocation has significantly increased from ₹879 crore/year (2009-14) to ₹6,626 crore in 2025-26 (more than 7.5 times).
* As of 01.04.2025, 15 projects (9 New Line, 3 Gauge Conversion, and 3 Doubling) totaling 1,700 km and costing ₹22,808 Crore are sanctioned, with ₹7,591 Crore spent until March 2025. 665 km has been commissioned.
* Railway projects in Tamil Nadu fall under Southern Railway (SR), South Central Railway (SCR), and South Western Railway (SWR) zones.
**Project Status in Tamil Nadu**
* Several gauge conversion and doubling projects have been completed. (See list in source document).
* Ongoing projects include new lines and doubling projects. (See list in source document).
**Land Acquisition Issues**
* Execution of infrastructure projects in Tamil Nadu is delayed due to land acquisition issues.
* Out of 4315 Ha of land required, only 1038 Ha (24%) has been acquired, leaving a balance of 3277 Ha (76%) to be acquired.
* Government of Tamil Nadu support is needed to expedite land acquisition for projects. (See list in source document).
* Project completion depends on various factors including land acquisition, forest clearance, utility shifting, statutory clearances, geological conditions, and law and order.
Impact Analysis
**Government of Tamil Nadu**
*Impact:* The government's support is crucial for the timely completion of railway projects, particularly in expediting land acquisition. Delays in land acquisition are significantly impacting project timelines.
*Action Required:* Expedite land acquisition processes for pending railway projects.
**Ministry of Railways**
*Impact:* Responsible for overseeing and executing railway projects within Tamil Nadu. The Ministry needs to coordinate with various stakeholders, including the State Government, NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance, to ensure project approvals and timely execution.
*Action Required:* Continue to monitor project progress, address bottlenecks related to land acquisition and approvals, and ensure coordination with relevant authorities.
**Residents of Tamil Nadu**
*Impact:* Benefit from improved rail infrastructure, connectivity, and economic development through completed and ongoing railway projects. Delays impact the potential benefits of these projects.
*Action Required:* No direct action is required but may involve cooperation with land acquisition processes where applicable.
Key Entities Referenced
Theni-Erumeli: Location for proposed construction of broad gauge railway line between Theni and Erumeli
NITI Aayog: Government of India's premier policy think tank, involved in appraisal before project sanctioning.
Ministry of Finance: Government of India ministry, involved in approvals before project sanctioning.
Tamil Nadu: State in India where multiple railway projects are taking place and facing land acquisition delays.
Southern Railway SR: Zonal Railway covering Railway projects in Tamil Nadu
South Central Railway SCR: Zonal Railway covering Railway projects in Tamil Nadu
South Western Railway SWR: Zonal Railway covering Railway projects in Tamil Nadu
Tindivanam-Nagari New Line: Ongoing railway project in Tamil Nadu facing land acquisition delays.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 391
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025
CONSTRUCTION OF BROAD GAUGE LINE BETWEEN THENI AND
ERUMELI
*391. DR. GANAPATHY RAJKUMAR P:
THIRU THANGA TAMILSELVAN:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that a tender has been floated for the survey
work/site selection study to construct a broad gauge railway line
between Theni Erumeli;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the amount of funds allotted;
and
(c) the details of the time frame if any, fixed by the Government for
commencement /completion of the said project?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
*****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK
SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 391 TO BE ANSWERED ON
20.08.2025.
(a) to (c): Survey of Theni-Erumeli new line (95 Km) has been
sanctioned for preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
After firming up of Detailed Project Report (DPR), sanctioning of
project requires consultation with various stake-holders including
State Governments and necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI
Aayog, Ministry of Finance etc. As sanctioning of projects is a
continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed.
Tamil Nadu
Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly.
Budget allocation for infrastructure projects and safety works,
falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu is as under:
Period Outlay
2009-14 ₹879 crore/year
2025-26 ₹ 6,626 crore (more than 7.5 times)
Railway projects in Tamil Nadu are covered by Southern Railway
(SR), South Central Railway (SCR) and South Western Railway (SWR)
zone of Indian Railways. Zonal Railway wise details of Railway
projects are made available in public domain on Indian Railway’s
website.
As on 01.04.2025, 15 projects (9 New Line, 03 Gauge Conversion
and 03 Doubling) of total length 1,700 Km, costing ₹22,808 Crore,
…2/--2-
falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu, are sanctioned, out of
which 665 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of
₹7,591 Crore has been incurred upto March’ 2025. The summary
is as under:-
Expenditure
Total Length
No. of upto March
Plan Head Length Commissioned
projects 2025
(in Km) (in Km)
(₹in Cr.)
New Line 9 812 24 1,337
Gauge Conversion 3 748 604 3,471
Doubling 3 140 37 2,783
/Multitracking
Total 15 1700 665 7,591
Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in
Tamil Nadu are as under :
S. Cost
Project
N (₹in Crores)
1 Dindigal Palani Pollachi Gauge Conversion (121 km) 610
2 Pollachi Palghat Gauge Conversion (56 km) 350
3 Pollachi Podhanur Gauge Conversion (40 km) 400
4 Quilon-Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur Gauge Conversion
1122
(357 km)
5 Mayiladuturai-Thiruvarur-Karaikkudi Gauge
1338
Conversion (187 km)
6 Madurai-Bodiyakannur Gauge Conversion (90 km) 593
7 Chengalpattu Villupuram Doubling (102 km) 670
8 Tiruvallur-Arakkonam 4th line (27 km) 83
9 Chennai Central-Basin Bridge Doubling (2 km) 31
10 Thanjavur-Ponmalai - Doubling (48 km) 370
11 Villupuram-Dindigul Doubling (273 km) 2000
12 Chennai Beach-Korukkupet 3rd line (5 km) 168
13 Chennai Beach-Attipattu 4th line (22 km) 293
14 Omalur-Metturdam Patch Doubling (29 km) 327
…3/--3-
15 Chengalpattu-Villupuram and Tambaram-
1122
Chengalpattu - 3rd line (133 km)
16 Salem-Magnesite Junction-Omalur Doubling (11 km) 115
17 Madurai- Maniyachi-Tuticorin Doubling (160 km) 1891
18 Maniyachi-Nagercoil Doubling (102 km) 1752
19 Chennai Beach- Chennai Egmore Doubling (4 km) 272
Details of some ongoing projects falling fully/partly in Tamil Nadu are as
under :
Cost
S.N Project
(₹in Crores)
1 Tindivanam-Nagari New Line (184 Km) 3631
2 Morappur-Dharmapuri New Line (36 Km) 359
3 Nagapattinam – Tiruturaipundi new line (43 Km) 742
4 Karaikal –Peralam New line (23 Km) 373
5 Trivandrum- Kanyakumari- Doubling (87 Km) 3785
6 3rd & 4th line Arakkonam yard (6 Km) 98
Execution of important infrastructure projects falling fully/partly in
the State of Tamil Nadu are held up due to delay in land acquisition.
Status of land acquisition in Tamil Nadu is as under:
Total Land required for Projects in
4315 Ha
Tamil Nadu
Land Acquired 1038 Ha ( 24%)
Balance Land to be acquired 3277 Ha ( 76%)
Support of the Government of Tamil Nadu is needed to expedite the
land acquisition.
Details of some major projects which are delayed due to land
acquisition are as under:-
…4/--4-
Total Land Balance
S land acquired Land to be
Name of the project
N required (in Ha) acquired
(in Ha) (in Ha)
Tindivanam–Tiruvannamalai New
1 273 33 240
Line (71 km)
Attiputtu – Puttur New Line (88
2 189 0 189
km)
3 Morappur – Dharmapuri (36 km) 93 42 51
4 Mannargudi-Pattukkottai (41 km) 196 0 196
5 Thanjavur-Pattukottai (52 km) 152 0 152
Government of India is geared up to execute projects, however
success depends upon the support of Government of Tamil Nadu.
Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors like
quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by
officials of forest department, shifting of infringing utilities,
statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and
topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in the area
of project/s site, number of working months in a year for particular
project site etc. All these factors affect the completion time and
cost of the project/s.
*****