Tamil Nadu is intensifying its efforts to gain approval for proposed metro rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the Centre’s previous rejection of these projects. State officials are enhancing their case with additional data to address the Centre’s concerns.
Following the Chief Minister’s intervention, Tamil Nadu has revised its justifications for the metro proposals. The updated documents will be sent through the state government to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for fresh consideration. The Centre’s main objection was the perceived inadequacy of projected ridership in both cities.
The Centre had earlier raised issues with the ridership projections, engineering challenges, and population thresholds in the detailed project reports (DPRs) submitted by Tamil Nadu. For Coimbatore, concerns were raised about the number of daily passengers and trip lengths on the proposed metro network. Similar evaluations were made for Madurai, where alternative transport systems were favored over a metro due to population thresholds.
Despite these challenges, Tamil Nadu officials believe that metro systems are essential for future transport needs in Coimbatore and Madurai. The state government hopes that the revised submissions will lead to a positive review by the Centre.
