The state of Tamil Nadu is witnessing a new era in rail development with various infrastructural projects like Doubling, tripling, Gauge conversion and electrification being executed at a faster pace. The annual budgetary outlay for Railways in the state of Tamil Nadu for the financial year 2022-23 is Rs.3865 crores. In comparison to the annual outlay of FY 2014-15, the outlay of the current financial year 2022-23 has increased four-fold. There is also an increase in the current financial year’s outlay by 67% when compared with the average outlay for the last eight years, i.e. 2014 to 2022.
The following infrastructural projects were completed and commissioned in the state of Tamil Nadu in the last 8 years (since 2014):
Gauge Conversion
400 Km of Gauge conversion projects have been completed and commissioned in Tamil Nadu during the 8 year period from 2014-2022. This includes the Gauge conversion of Palani – Pollachi – Palakkad Town (116.66 Km), Sengottai-New Aryankavu (19.11 Km), Pollachi-Podanur (39.79 Km), Thiruvarur–Tiruturaipundi- Pattukottai- Karaikkudi (149 Km) and Madurai – Teni (75 Km) sections.
Doubling/Tripling/Quadrupling of Tracks
A total of 639.22 Km of Doubling, Tripling & Quadrupling works have been completed in Tamil Nadu during the 8 year period from 2014-2022.
Average Doubling/Tripling/Quadrupling of Railway lines completed during 2014-22 is 80 Kms.
The doubling projects completed during the 8-year period were:
| Sl.No. | Project/Section | Km |
| 1. | Kallakkudi Palaganantham – Ariyalur | 24.5 |
| 2. | Chengalpattu – Karunguzhi – Madurantakam | 24.65 |
| 3. | Tozhuppedu – Olakur – Tindivanam – Perani | 40.2 |
| 4. | Villupuram – Tiruvennainallur-Vriddhachalam-Mathur-Ariyalur | 108.78 |
| 5. | Tiruchchirappalli – Manapparai – Kalpattichatram- Tamaraipadi – Dindigul | 90.17 |
| 6. | Ponmalai Bypass | 2.3 |
| 7. | Valadi-GoldenRock(18km), GoldenRock-Solagampatti(18.21km), Solagampatti-Thanjavur | 29 |
| 8. | Takkolam-Arakkonam | 11.29 |
| 9. | Tirumangalam-Tulukapatti-Kovilpatti-Kadambur-VanchiManiyachi-Gangaikondan-Tirunelveli & Kadambur-Tattaparai-Milavattan | 129 |
| 10. | Omalur-MecheriRoad-MetturDam | 29 |
The tripling, quadrupling and other multi-tracking projects completed during the 8-year period were:-
| Sl.No. | Project/Section | Km |
| 1. | Ponmalai-Tiruchchirappalli 3rd line | 2.84 |
| 2. | Tambaram-Chengalpattu 3rd line | 30 |
| 3. | Chennai Beach- Attipattu 4th line | 22.1 |
| 4. | Chennai Beach – Korukkupet 3rd line | 4.2 |
| 5. | 5th and 6th lines between Chennai Central and Basin Bridge | 4.4 |
Fast track Electrification
Electrification of railway lines paves the way for environmental- friendly transportation, cutting of energy costs besides facilitating seamless connectivity and faster travel. Indian Railways is marching ahead in its ambitious mission to achieve 100% electrification of the entire railway network by 2023. Taking Mission 2023 forward, Southern Railway has completed electrification of over 82% of its network so far. In the state of Tamil Nadu, 1664 route kilometers of railway tracks have been electrified during the 8-year period from 2014-2022. This is an increase of 170% when compared to the electrification projects completed during 2009-2014.
The electrification projects completed during the 8 year period from 2014 to 2022 in Tamil Nadu were:-
- Villupuram-Katpadi(150km),
- Virudunagar-Tuticorin&Tirunelveli(145km),
- Coimbatore North – Mettupalayam (33 km),
- Erode-Karur-Tiruchchirappalli(140km),
- Karur-Dindigul(71km),
- Salem-Karur (83.45 km),
- Villupuram-CuddalorePortJn.(47.70km),
- Tiruchchirappalli-Thanjavur(45.14km),
- Arakkonam-TakkolamDetourline(11.29km),
- Thanjavur -Thiruvarur (54.06 km),
- CuddalorePort-Thiruvarur(114km),
- ThiruchchirappalliTown-GoldenRockbypass(2.07km),
- Thiruvarur – Nagore (31.87 km),
- Mayiladuturai -Thanjavur (68 km),
- Vriddhachalam-CuddalorePort(55.48km),
- Nidamangalam-Mannargudi(13.98km),
- Pollachi – Podanur (41.22 km),
- Madurai – Manamadurai (47.54 km),
- Salem-Attur-Vriddhachalam(136km),
- Manamadurai – Ramanathapuram (60.67 km),
- Tiruchchirappalli-Pudukottai-Karaikkudi(89.13km),
- Palani – Pollachi – Muthalamada (84.4 km)
- Manamadurai-Virudhunagar(63.22km).
In line with the robust policies of Govt.of India, Railways focus on expeditious completion of infrastructural projects and electrification, marching ahead in its objective to attain self-sufficiency.