Track doubling between Aduthurai and Sundaraperumal Kovil gets approval

The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned track doubling of the Aduthurai-Kumbakonam-Sundaraperumal Kovil single line section falling under the limits of the Tiruchi Railway Division.  Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has conveyed this information through an official communication of October 2 to his Cabinet colleague and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan. 

Mr. Murugan, in a social media post, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Vaishnaw for this.

According to the communication from Mr. Vaishnaw, “the work for doubling of Aduthurai-Kumbakonam-Sundaraperumal Kovil single line section has been sanctioned.”  The 21-km electrified stretch from Aduthurai to Sundaraperumal Kovil is part of the over 190-km Villupuram-Thanjavur mainline section. 

The sanction comes at a time when Kumbakonam is to celebrate the ‘Mahamaham’ festival from February 29 to March 9, 2028 when lakhs of people are expected.

The Southern Railway authorities had earlier sent a detailed proposal to the Railway Board seeking sanction for “patch doubling” between Sundaraperumal and Aduthurai at an estimated cost of about ₹289 crore with the target to complete the project by January 2028, said railway sources. 

Although rail users in the delta region had for long been demanding doubling of the age-old mainline between Thanjavur and Villupuram, they sought doubling at least between Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai via Kumbakonam in view of the Mahamaham festival.

Thanjavur District Railway Users Association has welcomed the sanction for patch doubling. The association considers it as a prelude to doubling of the Thanjavur-Villupuram section.

“The sanction for track doubling between Aduthurai and Sundaraperumal Kovil will ensure speedy movement of trains to some extent”, said the association secretary A. Giri. 

Mr. Giri suggested the doubling project should be entrusted to the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd., a Navaratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, for its speedy completion ahead of the Mahamaham festival.  The railways should accord sanction speedily for doubling the remaining portion from Thanjavur to Villupuram, he added.