TN: PMK urges railway minister to fast-track 19 pending projects
Chennai, Nov 10
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to expedite 19 long-pending railway infrastructure projects in Tamil Nadu, expressing concern over the slow pace of implementation despite substantial financial allocations by the Centre.
In a letter to the Railway Minister on Tuesday, Anbumani highlighted the widening gap between budgetary allocations and actual progress, warning that prolonged delays were adversely affecting railway connectivity and economic development across the state.
While welcoming the Union Government's allocation of Rs 7,611 crore for Tamil Nadu during the 2026-27 financial year, he said increased funding had failed to translate into meaningful progress on several critical projects.
According to figures cited in his letter, 19 railway projects, comprising eight new railway lines, eight track-doubling works and three gauge conversion projects, remained incomplete as of April 1, 2026. The combined estimated cost of these projects stands at Rs 27,282 crore.
However, expenditure so far amounts to just Rs 8,811 crore, representing less than 33 per cent of the total estimated investment.
Anbumani observed that a considerable portion of the expenditure had effectively been absorbed by escalating construction costs and inflation, further undermining project implementation.
He expressed particular concern over eight sanctioned new railway line projects covering 811 kilometres, with an estimated investment of Rs 15,653 crore.
Despite several projects having been announced more than two decades ago, cumulative expenditure stood at only Rs 1,514 crore, accounting for less than 10 per cent of their estimated cost.
More alarmingly, just 24 kilometres of new railway lines, representing approximately 2.95 per cent of the proposed network, had been completed, he pointed out. Identifying inadequate project-specific funding and delays in land acquisition as major obstacles, Anbumani called for urgent administrative intervention.
He proposed establishing a special monitoring committee comprising representatives of the Union and Tamil Nadu governments, railway officials, technical experts and district administrations.
The committee should coordinate funding, accelerate land acquisition and submit monthly progress reports to identify bottlenecks and ensure timely implementation, he suggested.
Anbumani emphasised that expanding railway connectivity to tier-II cities and underserved regions was essential for strengthening industrial growth, attracting investments and improving passenger transportation.
He urged the Railway Ministry to accord priority to the pending projects and establish a time-bound implementation mechanism to prevent further delays.
— IANS
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