"Tambaram railway station is poised for a major ₹890-crore transformation, with the RLDA finalizing PPP tender documents to kickstart the project."

The ₹890-crore redevelopment of Tambaram railway station is moving forward, aiming to transform the suburban hub into a modern transit facility, with the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) recently holding a stakeholder meeting to discuss key projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Sources said tenders for the project will be floated soon, with completion expected within three years. Once redeveloped, the station’s passenger handling capacity is set to more than double, from 13,500 during peak hours to 28,750. The number of tracks will increase from 12 to 16, with three additional platforms planned.

Railways is also constructing a new platform that allows passengers to enter directly from the east side without using foot overbridges or escalators. “The redevelopment of Tambaram is part of a broader modernization plan, similar to Egmore. When completed, Tambaram’s handling capacity will surpass Egmore, which faces space constraints, while Tambaram has ample room. In the future, more express trains are planned from Tambaram itself, making this redevelopment crucial,” an official said. Additional features include new foot overbridges, a concourse at the first level, and redesigned east and west facades.

City-based transport activist Dayanand Krishnan noted that Tambaram handles around 3.4 crore passengers annually and requires more passenger-centric facilities. “The RLDA plan focuses heavily on staff quarters and cargo handling, but the station also needs better accessibility, parking, and a waiting concourse. While RLDA proposed an air concourse at Rani Kamlapati station in Bhopal, no such provision has been made for Tambaram,” he said.

P Viswanathan, convenor of the Chitlapakkam residents’ welfare associations coordination committee, suggested that the vast land available at Tambaram should be utilized more effectively in the redevelopment.

Railway officials, however, clarified that the RLDA’s current plan is not final and will be revised based on feedback from stakeholders, including state agencies. Officials added that similar modernizations could be considered for stations in Avadi and Coimbatore, though no formal plans have been announced yet.