Tamil Nadu denies seeking cancellation of Madurai–Tuticorin rail project

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu govt on Saturday denied requesting cancellation of Madurai–Tuticorin railway project, countering railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s claim that the state govt had asked for dropping the project.
Tamil Nadu transport minister S S Sivasankar called the railway minister’s claim false, stating that the state had consistently pushed for the project's implementation.
The project requires 926 acres of land. District collectors of Madurai, Virudhunagar and Tuticorin have been instructed to proceed with acquisition in two phases. Three administrative orders were issued between 2022 and 2023 to support the process. Letters seeking funding were sent to Southern Railway in August and September 2024, but no response had been received, the minister said.
On Dec 12, Tamil Nadu requested a report on the project's status and funding. In a Dec 19 reply, Southern Railway confirmed that 18km of work -- up to Melamathur -- had been completed, but the remaining sections were shelved citing "low freight potential."
On Aug 19, chief minister M K Stalin wrote to the railway minister seeking funds for this and other projects.
“In this context, how can a Union minister irresponsibly claim that Tamil Nadu had sought cancellation? Such unfounded statements contradict the state’s consistent stance,” said Sivasankar. He urged the Railways to allocate funds for pending projects without delay.