Southern Railway Inaugurates ₹6 Crore Subway at Lallikuppam to Ease Traffic Woes Near Ranipet
मुख्य बातें
- •Southern Railway inaugurates a ₹6 crore subway at Lallikuppam near Ranipet to replace a manned railway level crossing.
- •The project, first proposed 20 years ago, was revived and expedited in 2024.
- •The 240m-long, 4.5m-wide subway allows buses, lorries, and two-wheelers, reducing travel time by 5-6 km.
- •Features include LED lights, stormwater drains, reflectors, and warning signages for safety.
- •Residents demand resumption of bus services; plans include widening the subway to 12m at an estimated cost of ₹4 crore.
The Southern Railway has opened a new subway at Lallikuppam village near Ranipet town, Tamil Nadu, replacing a decades-old manned railway level crossing that caused severe traffic congestion. The ₹6 crore project, which was first proposed nearly 20 years ago, was revived and fast-tracked in 2024. The new two-lane subway is 240 metres long, 4.5 metres wide, and 4 metres high, allowing buses, lorries, and other vehicles to pass safely.
Before the subway’s inauguration, motorists—particularly two-wheeler riders—were forced to use a narrow British-era culvert designed to prevent monsoon waterlogging on the tracks. Other vehicles, including ambulances, had to take a detour of around six kilometres via a nearby road overbridge to reach key towns such as Tiruttani, Sholinghur, Walajah, Ranipet, Katpadi, Vellore, and Chittoor. The new subway, situated between the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48) and the Palar river, eliminates this detour and reduces travel time by at least 5-6 kilometres for residents heading to hospitals, government offices, and surrounding towns.
