The Railway Board is currently evaluating Southern Railway’s Rs 365.42 crore proposal to construct third and fourth railway lines between Attipattu and Gummidipoondi, a crucial 22.52 km stretch on the high-density Delhi–Chennai route and part of the Chennai–Visakhapatnam and Chennai–Bengaluru industrial corridors.

Submitted under the national initiative for multi-tracking and bypass lines, the project aims to reduce congestion and has received endorsements from key railway departments. Formal approval from the Railway Ministry is awaited. Once sanctioned, the project is expected to significantly boost freight capacity, reduce train detention, and generate an additional 8.71 million tonne of annual freight traffic. With the corridor currently operating at full capacity and projected to reach 107 percent by 2027–28, the expansion is seen as critical.

Southern Railway has completed the final location survey, and the route faces no major land acquisition hurdles. Locals have long demanded the upgrade. The line connects key infrastructure including Ennore and Kamarajar ports, SIPCOT Park, and thermal plants.