Gummidipoondi Rail Commuters Urge Start of Rs 365 Crore Attipattu Line Project

The Gummudipoondi Railway Passengers Welfare Association on Tuesday urged authorities to expedite and begin construction work on the sanctioned third and fourth railway lines between Attipattu and Gummidipoondi in North Chennai. The appeal was sent through formal representations addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and senior Southern Railway officials.

The 22.52-kilometre-long railway line project was sanctioned by the railway administration at an estimated cost of Rs 365.42 crore. Commuters and local resident bodies have long sought the expansion to alleviate heavy congestion along the northern railway corridor leading towards Chennai Central.

In his communication, S Suresh Babu, president of the Gummudipoondi Railway Passengers Welfare Association, pointed out that Southern Railway floated a tender roughly eight months following the Railway Board's approval. Although the tender process closed on May 12 and nearly five months have elapsed since, field work on the track infrastructure has yet to begin.

Suresh Babu highlighted the daily struggles faced by thousands of passengers travelling along the northern suburban route. At present, commuters are compelled to spend nearly two hours completing a journey of just 45 kilometres between Gummidipoondi and Chennai Central due to railway congestion and scheduling constraints.

The association noted that completing the doubling project will reduce travel time between Chennai Central and Gummidipoondi by approximately 45 minutes. Commuters from North Chennai have long demanded dedicated tracks to improve frequency and reliability on the busy suburban stretch.

According to the association, the existing third and fourth railway lines between Korukkupet and Attipattu are primarily utilised for goods trains rather than suburban services. Suresh Babu stated that diverting suburban trains to these tracks would immediately ease journey times. At present, suburban trains are routinely halted on loop lines at Ponneri, Minjur, and Kavaraipettai stations past Attipattu to give priority clearance to express services. Once the new lines between Attipattu and Gummidipoondi are operational, the corridor will offer separate dedicated tracks for suburban and express traffic.