C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Chennai's bullet train ambition is taking shape as the proposed Hyderabad–Chennai high-speed rail corridor, a project which will reshape inter-city travel, has reached a key milestone with South Central Railway submitting the final alignment to the Tamil Nadu government and seeking approvals to keep survey work on track.
Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority special officer I Jayakumar told The New Indian Express that the detailed project report for the high speed corridor will be finalised within a month after the state grants its approval.
"They have sought our views on the alignment and we will be giving the approval in the next few days. Initially, the alignment was touching Sri City and Gudur but we wanted it to link Tirupati which they have done," Jayakumar said. The project aims to reduce the current ~12-hour train journey to approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes
The 778-km corridor is one of two high-speed routes planned in the southern region—the other linking Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Both are part of a longer-term national push to expand India’s high-speed rail footprint beyond the Mumbai–Ahmedabad line, with corridors designed to connect emerging economic hubs across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The move comes in the wake of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announcing that a survey for the project is already in progress in September. Very soon, the bullet train is going to come to South India. A survey is being done. It will connect Hyderabad, Chennai, Amravati, and Bengaluru, all four cities," he said in a event in Visakhapatnam.
For Chennai, the project is significant because the 61-km stretch within Tamil Nadu includes two major station proposals—Chennai Central and Chennai Ring Road/Minjur—set to anchor the city’s integration with the high-speed network. Railways has requested that the state allocate around 50 acres around each station for transit-oriented development, which is expected to shape new commercial and mobility clusters in the metropolitan region.
The alignment is based on surveys carried out by government consultancy RITES. The land requirement for the stretch has been estimated at 223.44 hectares, with railway officials noting that no forest land is involved—an element expected to ease statutory environmental clearances.
The alignment crosses 65 roads and 21 high-tension electricity lines, requiring close coordination with state departments and utility agencies to ensure structural clearance for the elevated high-speed rail system. The Tamil Nadu section also includes a technically complex feature: an 11.6-km tunnel, which will undergo detailed geotechnical investigation before construction methods are finalised.
The proposed route passes close to several northern settlements—including Pondavakkam, Thatchoor, Vichoor, Mathur and Tondiarpet—areas where construction logistics, access planning and mitigation of urban disruption will be critical.
In a letter to the state’s Transport Department this week, South Central Railway sought early finalisation of the alignment and station locations, in-principle approval for land acquisition, and incorporation of the corridor into Tamil Nadu’s long-term infrastructure master plan. The Railways has also requested joint field visits with state officials to avoid delays to the Final Location Survey, which is being carried out under a time-bound schedule.
Hyderabad–Chennai High-Speed Rail: Key Facts
1. TN Alignment Length
60.99 km of the 778-km corridor falls within Tamil Nadu.
2. Land Requirement
223.44 hectares needed in Tamil Nadu; no forest land involved.
3. Key Engineering Feature
11.6-km tunnel planned between chainage 720.7 km and 732.291 km.
4. Crossings
65 road crossings and 21 high-tension line crossings in the TN stretch.
5. Proposed Stations
Two stations in Chennai region: Chennai Central and Chennai Ring Road/Minjur.
Chennai's bullet train ambition is taking shape as the proposed Hyderabad–Chennai high-speed rail corridor, a project which will reshape inter-city travel, has reached a key milestone with South Central Railway submitting the final alignment to the Tamil Nadu government and seeking approvals to keep survey work on track.
Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority special officer I Jayakumar told The New Indian Express that the detailed project report for the high speed corridor will be finalised within a month after the state grants its approval.
"They have sought our views on the alignment and we will be giving the approval in the next few days. Initially, the alignment was touching Sri City and Gudur but we wanted it to link Tirupati which they have done," Jayakumar said. The project aims to reduce the current ~12-hour train journey to approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes
The 778-km corridor is one of two high-speed routes planned in the southern region—the other linking Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Both are part of a longer-term national push to expand India’s high-speed rail footprint beyond the Mumbai–Ahmedabad line, with corridors designed to connect emerging economic hubs across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The move comes in the wake of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announcing that a survey for the project is already in progress in September. Very soon, the bullet train is going to come to South India. A survey is being done. It will connect Hyderabad, Chennai, Amravati, and Bengaluru, all four cities," he said in a event in Visakhapatnam.
For Chennai, the project is significant because the 61-km stretch within Tamil Nadu includes two major station proposals—Chennai Central and Chennai Ring Road/Minjur—set to anchor the city’s integration with the high-speed network. Railways has requested that the state allocate around 50 acres around each station for transit-oriented development, which is expected to shape new commercial and mobility clusters in the metropolitan region.
The alignment is based on surveys carried out by government consultancy RITES. The land requirement for the stretch has been estimated at 223.44 hectares, with railway officials noting that no forest land is involved—an element expected to ease statutory environmental clearances.
The alignment crosses 65 roads and 21 high-tension electricity lines, requiring close coordination with state departments and utility agencies to ensure structural clearance for the elevated high-speed rail system. The Tamil Nadu section also includes a technically complex feature: an 11.6-km tunnel, which will undergo detailed geotechnical investigation before construction methods are finalised.
The proposed route passes close to several northern settlements—including Pondavakkam, Thatchoor, Vichoor, Mathur and Tondiarpet—areas where construction logistics, access planning and mitigation of urban disruption will be critical.
In a letter to the state’s Transport Department this week, South Central Railway sought early finalisation of the alignment and station locations, in-principle approval for land acquisition, and incorporation of the corridor into Tamil Nadu’s long-term infrastructure master plan. The Railways has also requested joint field visits with state officials to avoid delays to the Final Location Survey, which is being carried out under a time-bound schedule.
Hyderabad–Chennai High-Speed Rail: Key Facts
1. TN Alignment Length
60.99 km of the 778-km corridor falls within Tamil Nadu.
2. Land Requirement
223.44 hectares needed in Tamil Nadu; no forest land involved.
3. Key Engineering Feature
11.6-km tunnel planned between chainage 720.7 km and 732.291 km.
4. Crossings
65 road crossings and 21 high-tension line crossings in the TN stretch.
5. Proposed Stations
Two stations in Chennai region: Chennai Central and Chennai Ring Road/Minjur.
