Tamil Nadu News

Tamil Nadu Coastal Ferry Project

November 5 , 2026 12 hrs 0 min 25 0

The Tamil Nadu Maritime Board (TNMB) has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from ferry operators to operate passenger services connecting Chennai, Mamallapuram and Puducherry.
The proposed coastal ferry route will cover 80 nautical miles, starting from Dr Ambedkar Dock at Chennai Port and ending at Puducherry Port.
Mamallapuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, does not currently have ferry berthing infrastructure.
TNMB has also proposed a multi-operator model for the Nagapattinam–Kankesanthurai (Jaffna) ferry service between India and Sri Lanka.
The ferry service was relaunched in October 2023 after nearly four decades, recording over 66,000 passenger movements since its revival.