The Railway Board has approved the construction of the fifth and sixth railway lines between Perambur and Ambattur on the Chennai–Arakkonam stretch, aiming to alleviate congestion at Chennai Central station.
The section currently comprises two fast lines for express trains and two slow lines for suburban services. The new lines, spanning 6.4 km, are part of a Rs 182 crore project planned to support the proposed Perambur Coaching Terminal, which will absorb about 75 percent of the operations currently handled by Chennai Central. According to official sources, the project will be implemented on existing railway land without the need for additional land acquisition.
The proposal was submitted last year and included under the 2024-25 umbrella works. Currently, the section’s line capacity utilisation stands at 105.2 percent and is projected to rise to 114.4 percent by 2028-29. The project offers a financial rate of return of 17.45 percent, supporting an anticipated increase in freight movement to 7.03 million tonne per annum.