Madurai-T’kudi line ‘back’ on track as State expedites land acquisition

CHENNAI: The Madurai-Thoothukudi new rail line via Aruppukottai could well be back on tracks with the Tamil Nadu government reiterating its resolve to expedite land acquisition works and the Southern Railway probably softening its stand on scrapping the project.

After a meeting chaired by the state Chief Secretary on September 7 decided to expedite the acquisition and transfer of land and communicated it to the general manager of Southern Railway (SR), the additional chief secretary of the State transport department, on September 22, communicated the same to the Commissioner of Land Administration among other senior bureaucrats.

According to the September 22 letter of the additional chief secretary of the State Transport Department (copy available with DT Next), all land acquisition and transfer works for phase 2 of the Madurai-Thoothukudi line via Aruppukottai are to be expedited. That the decision was communicated to the zonal general manager of the S.Railway in the meeting was a reiteration that the State disagreed with the SR boss on scrapping the project. A senior SR official told DT Next on condition of anonymity that it was a ‘message’ from the State to the GM, who recommended scrapping the project, late on July 24.

Following the GM’s recommendation to railway board, which DT Next broke in August first week, MPs from the State, including DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, met the Union Railway Minister and petitioned that the project be continued.

Southern Railway (SR) has completed 32.35km of the 143.5km new line, including the 18-km stretch from Milavittan to Melmarudur which was commissioned on March 8, 2022, following an inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS). So far, about 90 hectares have been acquired for the project by the State government.

Highly placed SR sources said the GM of SR, who has been quite vocal in discouraging the project in earlier official meetings, has not been conspicuous in his opposition. If an official communication is sent from the State Chief Secretary to the Railway Board chairman with a copy marked to the GM of SR, the project would be put on fast track, said the railway officer.