Centre rejects Tamil Nadu's fresh bid for Metro Rail in Coimbatore, Madurai

CHENNAI: The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has reaffirmed its decision to reject Tamil Nadu’s proposals for Metro Rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai, maintaining that the two cities do not presently justify the massive investment required for Metro.

Instead, the ministry has recommended strengthening bus-based public transport, arguing that Bus Rapid Transit Systems (BRTS) would deliver comparable benefits at a significantly lower cost.

The Union government’s observations came in a communique to the State government following its renewed request, submitted in May, for approval. One of the principal reasons for rejecting the proposals, it stated, was the projected reduction in travel time does not justify the investment. Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) had estimated that Metro services would reduce travel time for an average 7.5-km peak-hour journey by around 8 minutes.

However, MoHUA argued that this calculation ignored the time commuters would spend walking to stations, waiting for trains and exiting stations at their destination. Once these factors are considered, the ministry concluded that the actual time saved would be minimal. It further observed that Metro Rail becomes significantly more attractive than road transport only for journeys of around 15 km or longer, whereas average trip lengths in Coimbatore and Madurai fall well below that threshold.

It also pointed out that TN itself had acknowledged the inadequacy of city bus services in Coimbatore. Without a strong feeder bus network and efficient last-mile connectivity, Metro systems would not attract sufficient commuters, it said.

Clarifying that it was not opposed to modern public transport solutions in both cities, the ministry stated that it had no objection to either at-grade or elevated BRTS, provided they offered efficient and affordable mobility. It also emphasised that population alone was not the sole criterion for approving Metro projects, but all technical, financial and operational parameters must collectively demonstrate the project’s viability.

“With the census 2027 announced, CMRL and the State government should take up newer data and other factors pointed out by the ministry to check if the project is feasible. If rejections continue, we’ll have to look for other options, like BRTS or drop any new transit services for the two cities at the moment,” said a retired railway official.