Transport: Tamil Nadu has a well established transportation system that connects all parts of the State. This is partly responsible for the investment in the State.
Tamil Nadu is served by an extensive road network in terms of its spread and quality, providing links between urban centres, agricultural market-places and rural habitations in the countryside. However, there is scope for improvement.
Road Transport:
- There are 28 national highways in the State, covering a total distance of 5,036 km.
- The State has a total road length of 167,000 km, of which 60,628 km are maintained by Highways Department
Rail Transport:
- Tamil Nadu has a well-developed rail network as part of Southern Railway, Head quartered at Chennai.
- Tamil Nadu has a total railway track length of 6,693 km and there are 690 railway stations in the State.
- Main rail junctions in the State include Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirapalli and Tirunelveli.
- Chennai has a well-established suburban Railway network, a Mass Rapid Transport system and is currently developing a Metro System, with its first underground stretch operational since May 2017.
Air Transport:
- Tamil Nadu has four major international airports.
- Chennai International Airport is currently the third largest airport in India.
- Other international airports in Tamil Nadu include Coimbatore International Airports, Madurai International Airport and Tiruchirapalli International Airport.
- It also has domestic airports at Tuticorin, Salem, and Madurai.
- Increased industrial activity has given rise to an increase in passenger traffic as well as freight movement which has been growing at over 18% per year.
Ports:
- Tamil Nadu has three major ports; one each at Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin, as well as one intermediate port in Nagapattinam, and 23 minor ports.
- The ports are currently capable of handling over 73 million metric tonnes of cargo annually (24% share of India).
- All the minor ports are managed by the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board, Chennai Port.
- This is an artificial harbour and the second principal port in the country for handling containers.
- It is currently being upgraded to have a dedicated terminal for cars capable of handling 4,00,000 vehicles.
- Ennore Port was recently converted from an intermediate port to a major port and handles all the coal and ore traffic in Tamil Nadu
