Indian Railways Rs 4,178 crore projects: The Ministry of Railways has approved infrastructure projects worth Rs 4,178.13 crore in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The projects cover 236 km and include the doubling of an existing railway section and the construction of third and fourth lines.

The projects are aimed at increasing rail capacity and improving the movement of passenger and freight trains. Both projects come under the administrative jurisdiction of Southern Railway (SR).

Rs 2,241.67 crore Salem-Karur-Dindigul doubling project

The Railway Board has approved the 159-km Salem-Karur-Dindigul railway line doubling project at a cost of Rs 2,241.67 crore.

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In a letter dated September 21, 2026, addressed to the General Manager (GM) of Southern Railway, the Railway Board (RB) said: “Sanction of the President is hereby communicated for “Salem-Karur-Dindigul Doubling (159 Km) of Southern Railway” at a completion cost of Rs. 2241.67 crore charged to Capital (GBS) under Item no 231# of Consolidated Budget Statement 2026-27/SR…”

The project will increase rail capacity on the route and help reduce congestion. Once completed, it is expected to allow smoother movement of passenger and freight trains.

The Salem-Karur-Dindigul route serves important industrial and agricultural areas, including sectors such as steel, cement, textiles, agriculture and food processing.

The new rail line is expected to improve freight movement and logistics efficiency while strengthening rail connectivity across Salem, Namakkal, Karur and Dindigul.

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Rs 1,936.46 Crore Arakkonam-Renigunta 3rd and 4th line project

The Railway Board has also approved the 77-km Arakkonam-Renigunta 3rd and 4th Line project at a cost of Rs 1,936.46 crore.

In a letter dated September 21, 2026, addressed to the GM of SR, the RB said: “Sanction of the President is hereby communicated for “Arakkonam-Renigunta 3rd and 4th Line (77 Km) of Southern Railway” at a completion cost of Rs. 1936.46 crore charged to Capital (GBS) under umbrella work of Doubling/ Tripling/ Quadrupling/ Flyover / Bypass works to augment capacity of Railway network (Umbrella Work 2025-26)…’

The project will increase rail capacity, improve train punctuality and support the growing demand for freight services. The corridor passes through Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and is part of the Mission 3000 MT and High-Density Traffic Routes (Amrit Chaturbhuj) programmes.

The Arakkonam-Renigunta route also provides connectivity to major highways and airports. Its multimodal links connect important industrial hubs and transport nodes, helping improve the movement of passengers and goods.