Tambaram-Chengai 4th line planned on east side to overcome land issues

THE state government and Southern Railway have decided to lay the 30.2km fourth railway line between Tambaram and Chengalpattu on the eastern side (along GST Road) of the existing three lines, instead of the western side as originally planned in 2015.

- B ANBUSELVAN @Chennai

According to official sources, the change in alignment was driven by challenges related to land acquisition, interference from pillars of road overbridges and other site constraints that could delay the project. "At present, the railways and the state government have secured a portion of land on the eastern side near GST Road. Additional parcels will still need to be acquired at several locations. However, laying the line on the western side would likely lead to major bottlenecks," an official said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of residents living on the western side of the Tambaram-Chengalpattu line heaved a sigh of relief. Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) told TNIE that the width of the existing GST Road carriageway would remain unaffected since the new track would be constructed within the available railway land.