Mumbai, Sept. 2 -- Railway passengers in Dharmapuri renewed calls for a speedy completion of the Dharmapuri-Morappur railway line as land acquisition remains incomplete. The route was originally constructed in 1906 by the British administration and linked Dharmapuri with Morappur and northern districts including Vellore and Chennai. The tracks were dismantled in 1941 to supply iron for the Second World War and have remained out of service since.
The revival project was sanctioned in 2019 at Rs 3,589.5 million (Rs 3.5895 bn) and a foundation stone was laid by the then Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal. Despite the sanction, officials report that land acquisition has progressed slowly over seven years and that only part of the required area has been secured. Passengers and local stakeholders continue to press Southern Railway for expedited action.
According to the Dharmapuri administration, the alignment runs through three taluks and 18 villages and requires 93 acres in total. To date about 47 acres have been secured, including 33 acres that are government land. Local business representatives have noted that the lack of direct trains to Chennai has discouraged investment and that the revived link would facilitate access to Chennai ports for freight and to air links.
Southern Railway officials attributed the delay to legal challenges from landholders, stated that the High Court has issued directions in the matter, and confirmed that notices have been served to advance acquisition. They indicated that construction could begin once acquisition is complete and that they expect the project to be finished within two years, subject to unforeseen circumstances. The scheme envisages two new railway stations, four major bridges, 36 minor bridges and several underpasses and is expected to increase the number of trains serving the district.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.