Tamil Nadu to Telangana: 540 km railway expansion gets ₹10,021 crore Cabinet nod

Track Boost

The Cabinet has cleared five railway multitracking projects worth about ₹10,021 crore across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. Together, they will add roughly 540 km to the network, targeting completion by 2029-30 and promising to ease congestion on busy routes. (Representative pic)

Route Expansion

From Arakkonam-Renigunta to Hosur-Omalur and Salem-Karur-Dindigul, the approved works span some of the region’s key railway corridors. The projects cover 17 districts and are expected to improve train movement, reliability and connectivity for passengers as well as freight. (Representative pic)

Village Reach

The railway expansion is set to reach far beyond major cities. The five projects will improve connectivity to around 2,121 villages with a combined population of about 52 lakh, potentially making travel, movement of goods and access to services easier across the four states.

(Representative pic)

Freight Surge

There is a bigger economic play behind the tracks. The upgraded routes are expected to support an additional 47 million tonnes of freight traffic annually, including coal, cement, steel, automobiles, food grains, petroleum products and fertilisers, according to the government.

(Representative pic)

Green Dividend

The new rail capacity could also cut the logistics sector’s environmental footprint. The government estimates the projects could reduce oil imports by around 8 crore litres and lower CO2 emissions by about 42 crore kg, equivalent to planting nearly 2 crore trees. (Representative pic)