The Union Government cited insufficient population figures in both cities and recommended improving bus transport systems instead of building coimbatore madurai metro rail project networks.
[CHENNAI]: In a significant setback to Tamil Nadu’s urban infrastructure plans, the Union Government has rejected the proposed coimbatore madurai metro rail project networks for the second consecutive time.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs returned the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) that were submitted by the state government. The Centre stated that a minimum population of 20 lakhs is required to grant permission for a Metro rail project, noting that both Coimbatore and Madurai currently have a population of only about 15 lakhs each.
The Tamil Nadu government had previously approved the projects based on the DPRs prepared and submitted by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). The Coimbatore Metro was planned as a 39 km elevated stretch at an estimated cost of Rs. 10,740 crore. The Madurai Metro was designed to cover 31.93 km from Thirumangalam to Othakadai at a cost of Rs. 11,360 crore, featuring 23 elevated stations and 3 underground stations.
This marks the second official rejection of the state’s transit proposals by the central government. The initial project plans were turned down in November, prompting the Tamil Nadu government to officially re-submit the request this past May, which has now been denied again.
In its official response, the Union Ministry indicated that implementing a Metro rail system in these cities would not significantly reduce travel times. Rather than pursuing the coimbatore madurai metro rail projects, the Centre advised the state government to focus on upgrading and improving the existing bus transport infrastructure.
The repeated denial effectively halts the immediate progress of these multi-crore transit developments. It forces state authorities to either reconsider their urban mobility strategies for these Tier-2 cities or find alternative ways to address future traffic demands without central approval.
