The Chennai Division of Southern Railway has commissioned 16 subways at level crossings to improve safety, reduce road congestion and enable smoother train operations, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle citing the railway division.
The projects are spread across level crossings under the Chennai Division. Eleven of the subways were completed during 2025–26, while five more were commissioned during the current financial year up to September 2026. Each subway was constructed at an estimated cost of around ₹8 crore.
The commissioning replaces road-rail intersections with grade-separated crossings, allowing road users to pass beneath railway tracks instead of waiting for trains or attempting to cross at surface-level gates. Southern Railway said the move would reduce waiting time and congestion for road users and address safety risks associated with level crossings.
The railway also linked the projects to the prevention of unsafe trespassing and vehicle collisions. Level crossings bring road traffic and train movements into the same space, making their removal an important part of railway safety work. The new subways are intended to separate those movements while retaining road connectivity across the railway network.
The division said the infrastructure would also help trains operate without speed restrictions. This is expected to support smoother train movements and improve punctuality on the affected sections, although the report did not specify the individual locations of all 16 commissioned subways or provide train-delay figures before and after their opening.
Construction is continuing on three additional subways at level crossings in the Arakkonam–Jolarpettai and Chennai Central–Arakkonam sections. These projects are estimated to cost around ₹8 crore each and are targeted for completion by January 31, 2027.
The programme illustrates the operational overlap between railway infrastructure and everyday urban mobility. A level crossing serves both as a railway safety point and as part of the road network used by local communities. Its replacement with a subway can reduce interruptions for vehicles and pedestrians while removing the need for trains to slow down at the crossing.
For residents and commuters, the immediate change will be at crossing points where road traffic previously had to wait for train movements. The railway’s stated objectives are shorter waiting periods, lower congestion, safer crossings and more consistent train operations. The effectiveness of each project will depend on how well the new subways connect with surrounding roads and how they are used after opening.
The Chennai Division’s next stated milestone is the completion of the three subways under construction by January 31, 2027. Southern Railway has not provided further details in the supplied report on the exact locations, road layouts or commissioning dates for those projects.