Parliament Question: Redevelopment of Railway Station at Tiruvallur and Gummidipoondi under ABSS

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 656 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2026 REDEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY STATION AT TIRUVALLUR AND GUMMIDIPOONDI UNDER ABSS 656. SHRI SASIKANTH SENTHIL: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to augment frequency and capacity on the Chennai–Tiruvallur–Arakkonam suburban section; (b) the status of station redevelopment at Tiruvallur and Gummidipoondi under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS); (c) whether new sub-urban lines, halt stations or foot-over-bridges in Tiruvallur district are under consideration and if so, the details thereof; and (d) whether the level crossings in Tiruvallur district approved for conversion to Road Over-Bridges and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (d) Presently, there are 4 existing lines in Chennai – Tiruvallur – Arakkonam section. Further, to improve the connectivity and capacity of Rail network in Chennai Suburban Area, Final Location Survey for 5th and 6th line Chennai – Tiruvallur – Arakkonam (68 km) has been sanctioned. Sanctioning of projects requires consultation with various stakeholders 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. § Page 1 of 15Station Redevelopment Tiruvallur and Gummidipundi stations, located in Tamil Nadu, have been identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Development works at this station have been taken up at a good pace. At Tiruvallur station, the works for extension and improvement of existing station building, booking office, parking, improvement of platform surface of platform no. 1 & 6, platform shelter and the structural works of new concourse and entrance porch have been completed. The works of 12m wide foot over bridge, lifts, improvement of circulating area and signages have been taken up. At Gummidipundi station, the works of improvement of parking, second entry booking office, improvement of platform surface of platforms 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 and installation of lifts have been completed. The works of new station building, improvement of pedestrian plaza, drainage and approach road at first entry, integrated Passenger Information System and 12 m wide foot over bridge have been taken up. Further, development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of stations on Indian Railways is a continuous and ongoing process and works in this regard are undertaken as per requirement, subject to inter-se priority and availability of funds. Development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of a station is carried out based on category of station/condition/traffic handled etc. Ministry of Railways has launched Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach. Page 2 of 15The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the stations of Indian Railways. The master planning, keeping in view the necessity of each station, includes:  Improvement of access to station and circulating areas  Integration of station with both sides of city  Improvement of station building  Improvement of waiting halls, toilets, sitting arrangement, water booths  Provision of wider foot over bridge/subway to commensurate with passenger traffic  Provision of lifts/escalators/ramps  Improvement of platform surface/ provision of platform shelter  Provision of kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’  Parking development  Amenities for Divyangjans  Better passenger information systems  Provision of air concourse, executive lounges, Multimodal integration, landscaping, etc. The scheme also envisages sustainable and environment friendly solutions etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term. So far, 1340 stations have been identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, out of which 77 stations, including Tiruvallur and Gummidipundi stations, are located in Tamil Nadu. The names of stations identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Tamil Nadu are as following: Page 3 of 15State No. of Names of Stations Stations Tamil Nadu 77 Ambasamudram, Ambattur, Arakkonam Jn, Ariyalur, Avadi, Bommidi, Chengalpattu Jn, Chennai Beach, Chennai Egmore, Chennai Park, Chidambaram, Chinna Salem, Chrompet, Coimbatore Jn, Coimbatore North, Coonoor, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode Jn., Guduvancheri, Guindy, Gummidipundi, Hosur, Jolarpettai Jn, Kanniyakumari Terminus, Karaikkudi Jn, Karur Jn, Katpadi Jn, Kovilpatti, Kulitturai, Kumbakonam, Lalgudi, Madurai Jn, Mambalam, Manaparai, Mannargudi, Mayiladuturai Jn, Mettupalayam, Morappur, Nagercoil Jn, Namakkal, Palani, Paramakkudi, Perambur, Podanur Jn., Pollachi Jn, Polur, Pudukkottai, Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central, Rajapalayam, Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram, Salem, Samalpatti, Sholavandan, Srirangam, Srivilliputtur, St.Thomas Mount, Tambaram, Tenkasi, Thanjavur Jn, Thiruvarur Jn., Tiruchendur, Tirunelveli Jn, Tirupadripulyur, Tirupattur, Tiruppur, Tirusulam, Tiruttani, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Tuticorin, Udagamandalam, Vellore Cantt., Page 4 of 15State No. of Names of Stations Stations Villupuram Jn., Virudhunagar, Vriddhachalam Jn. Completed Stations: Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Tamil Nadu have been taken up at a good pace. Details of stations completed in Tamil Nadu are as under: No. of State Name of Stations Stations Tamil Nadu 26 Ambasamudram, Bommidi, Chennai Park, Chidambaram, Chinna Salem, Coonoor, Karaikkudi Junction, Kulitturai, Mambalam, Manaparai, Mannargudi, Morappur, Namakkal, Palani, Paramakkudi, Pollachi Junction, Polur, Samalpatti, Sholavandan, Srirangam, Srivilliputtur, St.Thomas Mount, Thiruvarur Junction, Tiruvannamalai, Udagamandalam, Vriddhachalam Junction The activities for development at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and progress of some of the stations is as given below:  Virudhunagar station: The works of improvement of circulating area, parking, entry/exit gate, installation of Coach Indication Boards and Train Indication Boards have been completed. The works of Page 5 of 15improvement of station building including entrance porch and 6 m wide foot over bridge have been taken up.  Karur Junction station: The works of improvement of station building, 12 m wide foot over bridge, improvement of circulating area, parking, main entrance gate, waiting hall, toilets, parcel office building, improvement of platform resurface and platform widening of platform no.1 have been completed. The works of lifts and escalators have been taken up.  Thanjavur Junction station: The works of entrance porch, improvement of circulating area including landscaping, concourse & subway, platform shelter, arrival lobby, exit gate, booking office, installation of Coach Indication Board, Train Indication Board and signages have been completed. The works of parking, lift and escalator have been takenup.  Villupuram Junction station: The works of new arrival building, Government Railway Police (GRP) building, platform shelter, improvement of platform surface, booking office, improvement of parking, parcel office and signages have been completed. The works of 6 m wide foot over bridge, improvements of circulating area, parking, concourse, departure building, entrance gate, installation of Coach Indication Board, Train Indication Board and escalator have been taken up.  Rameswaram station: The works of revamping of Multi Functional Complex (MFC) building into retiring rooms, structural works of East and North terminal building, parcel office, residential tower, departure forecourt, arrival forecourt, substation building and sewage treatment plant have been completed. ⁠The finishing works of East Page 6 of 15terminal building, North terminal building, departure forecourt, sewage treatment plant, arrival forecourt, platform shelter and improvement of waiting hall have been taken up. Development / Upgradation of railway stations is a complex in nature involving safety of passengers & trains and requires various statutory clearances such as tree cutting, heritage, fire clearance, airport clearance etc. These stations are in operation since long, so brownfield work challenges are being faced, such as shifting of utilities (involving water/sewage lines, optical fibre cables, gas pipelines, power/signal cables, etc.), infringements, operation of trains without hindering passenger movement, speed restrictions due to works carried out in close proximity of the tracks and near to high voltage power lines, etc. and these factors affect the progress of work and completion time. Development / upgradation / modernisation of stations including under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head-53 ‘Customer Amenities’. The details of allocation and expenditure under Plan Head-53 are maintained Zonal Railway-wise and not station-wise or state- wise. Tamil Nadu is covered under the jurisdiction of three railway zones, namely, Southern Railway, South Western Railway and South Coast Railway. For these zones, an allocation of ₹ 1,298 crore has been made for the financial year 2026-27, out of which an expenditure (up to June, 2026) of ₹ 582 crore has been incurred so far. ROBs/RUBs Sanctioning of works of Road over Bridge (ROB)/Road under Bridge (RUB) in lieu of Level Crossings (LCs) is a continuous and dynamic process of Indian Railway. Such works are prioritised and taken up on the basis of their Page 7 of 15impact on safety in train operations, mobility of trains & impact for road users and feasibility etc. No. of ROBs/ RUBs constructed on Indian Railways during the period 2004- 14 viz-a-viz 2014-26 (Upto May’26) is as under: Period ROBs/ RUBs constructed 2004-14 4,148 Nos. 2014-26 (Upto May’26) 14,451 Nos. (814 Nos. in the State of Tamil Nadu) As on 01.06.2026, 4,993 Nos. ROBs/ RUBs works are sanctioned at a cost of approx. ₹1,17,492 Cr on Indian Railways including 248 Nos. ROBs/ RUBs works at a cost of approx. ₹ 4,952 Cr in the State of Tamil Nadu which are at various stages of planning and execution. As on 01.04.2026, Indian Railways has 15,689 Nos. of Manned Level Crossings (MLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG). Of these, 1,211 Nos. MLCs are situated in the State of Tamil Nadu, including 26 Nos. MLCs falling within the Tiruvallur district. 16 Nos. ROB/RUB works (excluding the non-feasible works) are sanctioned for elimination of LCs in the Tiruvallur district. The details are as under: S.No LC No. ROB/ Total Current Status RUB cost (₹ in crore) 1 LC No. 13 at 36 Railway Portion has been km 31/12 - 14 ROB completed. on Tiruninravur Approach Portion work has - Tiruvallur been taken up. section Page 8 of 152 LC No. 20 at RUB 9 GAD preparation work has been km 44/30-45/2 taken up. on Tiruvallur – Kadambattur section 3 LC No. 22 at RUB 5 The work of DPR preparation km 50/8-10 on has been taken up. Tiruvallur – Kadambattur section 4 LC No. 25 at ROB 37 GAD preparation work has been km 57/32-58/2 cum taken up. on RUB Kadambattur – Tiruvalangadu section 5 LC No. 42 at RUB 35 The work of DPR preparation km 83/10-12 on has been taken up. Tiruttani - Ponpadi section 6 LC No. 45 at ROB 43 The work of DPR preparation km 88/21-25 on has been taken up. Tiruttani - Ponpadi section 7 LC No. 2 at km ROB 37 GAD has been approved. 2A/40-42 on Basin Bridge Junction – Korukkupet section 8 LC No. 14 at ROB 41 Construction work has been km 22/14-16 on taken up. Attippattu - Minjur section 9 LC No. 16 at ROB 39 Construction work has been km 24/16-18 on taken up. Attippattu - Minjur section 10 LC No. 20 at ROB 39 Land acquisition has been taken km 28/22-24 on up. Minjur – Ponneri section Page 9 of 1511 LC No. 23 at ROB 41 Land acquisition has been taken km 32/02-04 on up. Minjur – Ponneri section 12 LC No. 25 at ROB 41 Land acquisition has been taken km 33/42-34/2 up. on Ponneri – Kavaraippettai section 13 LC No. 26 at ROB 40 Railway Portion is Completed km 35/06-08 on and Work for Approach Portion Ponneri – has been taken up. Kavaraippettai section 14 LC No. 30 at ROB 41 Land acquisition has been taken km 40/22-24 on up. Kavaraippettai – Gummidipundi section 15 LC No. 31 at ROB 34 Alignment yet to be finalized. km 41/36-38 on cum Kavaraippettai– RUB Gummidipundi section 16 LC No. 35 at ROB 35 Land acquisition has been taken km 48/10-12 on up. Gummidipundi – Elavur section Completion & commissioning of ROB/RUB works depends on various factors like cooperation of State Governments in giving consent for closure of LC, fixing of approach alignment, approval of General Arrangement Drawing (GAD), land acquisition, removal of encroachment, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, law and order situation in the area of project / work sites, duration of working season in a year for the particular project / area due to climatic conditions etc. All these factors affect the completion time of the projects / works. Page 10 of 15TAMIL NADU: Railway Budget: Budget allocation in 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 ₹ 7,611 crore (more than 8 times) 2026-27 Track Construction: The details of constructing new track falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu are as under: Period New track Commissioned 2009-14 923 km 2014-26 1,356 km Projects sanctioned: As on 01.04.2026, 19 projects (08 new line, 03 gauge conversion and 08 doubling) of total length of 1,874 km, costing ₹27,282 Crore, falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu have been sanctioned. The summary is as under: Page 11 of 15Category No. of Total Length Total Exp. projects Length Commissioned till upto March, (in km) March, 2026 (in km) 2026 (₹ in Cr.) New Line 8 811 24 1,514 Gauge 3 748 631 3,605 Conversion Doubling /Multi- 8 314 54 3,693 tracking Total 19 1,874 709 8,811 Recently Completed Projects: Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu are as under: S.N. Project Cost (₹ in Crores) 1 Dindigul - Pollachi gauge conversion (121 km) 610 2 Pollachi - Palghat gauge conversion (56 km) 350 3 Pollachi - Podhanur gauge conversion (40 km) 400 4 Quilon - Tiruchendur gauge conversion (357 km) 1,122 5 Mayiladuturai - Karaikkudi gauge conversion (187 km) 1,338 6 Madurai - Bodiyakannur gauge conversion (90 km) 593 7 Chengalpattu - Villupuram doubling (102 km) 670 8 Tiruvallur - Arakkonam 4th line (27 km) 83 9 Thanjavur - Ponmalai doubling (48 km) 370 10 Villupuram - Dindigul doubling (273 km) 2,000 Page 12 of 15S.N. Project Cost (₹ in Crores) 11 Chennai Beach - Attipattu 4th line (22 km) 293 12 Omalur - Metturdam Patch doubling (29 km) 327 13 Chengalpattu - Villupuram and Tambaram - 1,122 Chengalpattu - 3rd line (133 km) 14 Salem - Omalur doubling (11 km) 115 15 Madurai - Tuticorin doubling (160 km) 1,891 16 Maniyachi - Nagercoil doubling (102 km) 1,752 17 Chennai Beach - Chennai Egmore doubling (4 km) 272 Ongoing Projects: Some of the projects falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu which have been taken up are as under: Cost S.N. Project (₹ in Crores) 1 Tindivanam - Nagari new line (184 km) 3,631 2 Morappur - Dharmapuri new line (36 km) 359 3 Trivandrum - Kanyakumari doubling (87 km) 4,494 4 Irugur - Podanur doubling (11 km) 277 5 Tambaram - Chengalpattu 4th Line (30 km) 757 6 Attipattu - Gummidipundi 3rd & 4th line (23 km) 365 7 Tirupati - Katpadi doubling (105 km) 1,216 8 Tindivanam - Tiruvannamalai New Line (71 km) 1,400 9 Attipattu – Puttur New Line (88 km) 1,700 Page 13 of 15Cost S.N. Project (₹ in Crores) 10 Chennai – Cuddulore New Line (179 km) 2,670 11 Baiyapannahalli - Hosur doubling (48 km) 1,160 12 Arakkonam - Chengalpattu doubling (68 km) 993 13 Erode - Karur doubling (67 km) 986 Details of some major projects which are delayed due to land acquisition are as under: SN Name of the project Total Land Balance land acquired Land to be required (in ha) acquired (in ha) (in ha) 1. Tindivanam - Tiruvannamalai 276 33 243 new line (71 km) 2. Attiputtu - Puttur new line 189 0 189 (88 km) 3. Morappur - Dharmapuri new line 93 47 46 (36 km) 4. Mannargudi - Pattukkottai new 204 0 204 line (41 km) 5. Thanjavur - Pattukottai new line 152 0 152 (52 km) Summary of the status of land acquisition in Tamil Nadu is as under: Total Land required for Projects in Tamil Nadu 4,612 ha Land Acquired 1,178 ha (26%) Balance Land to be acquired 3,434 ha (74%) Page 14 of 15Sanction of any railway project depends upon many parameters/factors which include the following:  Anticipated traffic projections and remunerativeness of the proposed route  First and last mile connectivity provided by the project  Connection of missing links and providing additional route  Augmentation of congested/saturated lines  Demands raised by State Governments/Central Ministries/Public representatives  Railway’s own operational requirements  Socio-economic considerations  Overall availability of funds Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following:  Land acquisition by State Government  Forest clearance  Shifting of infringing utilities  Statutory clearances from various authorities  Geological and topographical conditions of area  Law and order situation in the area of project 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. ***** Page 15 of 15