Coimbatore Metro, also known as Kovai Metro, is a proposed

rapid transit system Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

for

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

History

The

Central Government A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or dele ...

proposed a metro rail system for 16 tier-2 cities in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

including

in 2010. While the Government of Tamilnadu in 2011, shelved in favour of a

monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and "rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, ...

. Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee has also protested to implement metro rail project in Coimbatore. In 2013,

E. Sreedharan Elattuvalapil Sreedharan (born 12 June 1930) is an Indian engineer and politician from the Indian state of Kerala. He is credited with changing the face of public transport in India with his leadership in building the Konkan Railway and the De ...

made survey and announced metro rail as suitable transport for Coimbatore. In January 2017, a Coimbatore District Administration official told

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...

that there was no mass rapid system presently under consideration for Coimbatore.'' '' Government of Tamilnadu again announced for the proposal of metro rail at

in 2017.

Railway Minister A Ministry of Railways is a Cabinet department that exists or has existed in many Commonwealth states as well as others. It generally occurs in countries where railroad transportation is a particularly important part of the national infrastructure. ...

Suresh Prabhu Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu (born 11 July 1953) is an Indian politician, India's Sherpa to the G7 anChancellor of Rishihood University who was the Minister of Civil Aviation, Railways, Commerce & Industry in the First Modi ministry. He is a ...

has announced that Central Government is ready to implement and fund metro rail project in Coimbatore. State Government has also approved for metro rail. The works was expected to begin by the financial year 2017/18, but it hadn't. CM Edipaddi K. Palaniswami announced metro rail plan for Coimbatore. He also announced that the

feasibility study A feasibility study is an assessment of the practicality of a project or system. A feasibility study aims to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of an existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats pr ...

will be conducted and

Detailed Project Report A project plan, according to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), is: "...a formal, approved document used to guide both ''project execution'' and ''project control''. The primary uses of the project plan are to document planning ass ...

(DPR) will be prepared by

Chennai Metro Rail Limited The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the 4th longest metro system In india. The system commenced service in 2015 after partially opening the first phase of the project. The network c ...

(CMRL) and the funds will be provided by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

-based KFW company. CMRL releases tender notice for preparing the project's DPR and

feasibility report A feasibility study is an assessment of the practicality of a project or system. A feasibility study aims to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of an existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats pr ...

SYSTRA SYSTRA is a multinational engineering and consulting group in the mobility sector, whose fields of activity include rail and public transport. In 2019, it employed a staff of about 7,300 people, and is a limited company which shareholders includ ...

Group bags the tender to prepare feasibility study and DPR. Feasibility study submitted to the Government and waiting for approval. SYSTRA Group, has also approached the district administration and the city municipal corporation to furnish details about development work to be implemented in the city and state highways, national highways roads and

National Highways Authority of India The National Highways Authority of India or NHAI (Hindi: भारतीय राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग प्राधिकरण) is an autonomous agency of the Government of India, set up in 1995 (Act 1988) and i ...

(NHAI) roads. Based on the details provided by the district administration and the corporation, the private company would prepare the DPR. This project is initially proposed as a monorail later converted to metro rail project and now the project has been converted into Metro rail lite project.

Project timeline

*2011:

under former Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...

announces metro rail projects for Tier II cities, where Coimbatore is also included. *2011:

Tamil Nadu Government Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, like ...

under former Chief Minister

J. Jayalalithaa Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and actress who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016. From 9 February 1989 to 5 December 2 ...

shelves the metro rail project in favour of

. *2013:

makes survey and announces metro rail as suitable transport for Coimbatore. *2017: Tamil Nadu Government under former Chief Minister

Edappadi K. Palaniswami Edappadi K. Palaniswami (born 12 May 1954), also known as E.P.S., is an Indian politician and the leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He served as the 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, from 2017 to 2021. He has been th ...

again announced metro rail for Coimbatore. *2017: Tamil Nadu Government announces the commencement of Coimbatore Metro Project works by financial year 2017-18 and it got approval from state and central government *2017:

also announces that Central Government is ready to launch and fund the Coimbatore Metro Project. *2017: Tamil Nadu Government announces that

would be conducted and

(DPR) will be prepared for Coimbatore Metro by

(CMRL), and the fund will be provided by

-based KFM company. * *2017: Tamil Nadu Government orders CMRL to float tenders. CMRL releases tender notice for preparing Coimbatore Metro's DPR and

. *2018: CMRL replied to a Coimbatore-based RTI filed by Sudandhira pon vandhiyathevan a resident of coimbatore to PM cell that Feasibility cum DPR is under preparation *2018: CMRL floats tender for Coimbatore Metro's DPR and feasibility report preparation. *2018: German-based KFW Company shortlists five firms to prepare the DPR and feasibility study for Coimbatore Metro. *2019: Feasibility study and DPR under preparation by

Group. *2019: Feasibility study has been submitted by SYSTRA Group to the Government and is waiting for approval. *2019: SYSTRA Group has approached the district administration and the city municipal corporation to furnish details about development work to be implemented in the city and state highways, national highways roads and

(NHAI) roads. Based on the details provide by the district administration and the corporation, the private company would prepare the DPR. *2020: CMRL Held a meeting with the Highways Department and Coimbatore corporation officials and discussed the implementation of the metro project. A section of the metro route was suggested to be changed because of its clashing with the

Ukkadam Ukkadam is a part of Townhall locality in the core part of the city of Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. Ukkadam Bus Terminal, which is one of the seven major bus stands in the city, is located in this neighborhood. Ukkadam is famous for its Fish M ...

flyover. A metro line is planned to extend up to

Vellalore Vellalore is a panchayat town in Coimbatore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a southern suburb of the city. It is at 12 km east of Townhall, the centre of the city Coimbatore. It is situated on the southern bank of Noy ...

to connect to the new bus terminus. *2020: A fifth metro line has been proposed to connect CIBT at Vellalore with

. *2021: Tamil Nadu Government Allocates ₹ 6,683 crore as funds to carry out Coimbatore Metro Rail Project in 2021-22 Financial Budget. *2021:

RITES Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited, abbreviated as RITES Ltd, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, Government of India. It is an engineering consultancy corporation, specializing in the field ...

floats tender for topographical survey of Coimbatore Metro Rail Project. *2021: Land survey begins for Coimbatore Metro Rail Project. *2021: Prime meridian begins feasibility study survey work for Coimbatore metro. *2021: A group of engineers along with MLA of the constituency tested the proposed metro route which is clashing with the under construction flyover, but its result is the pillars erected for the flyover can't be converted for metro project and they are seeking for alternative proposal on that route either by constructing underground Metro line for 10 kilometers or other alternative route. *2022 : Finance Minister PTR. Palanivel Thiagarajan announces Preparation of Detailed Project Report is under final stages by CMRL, soon funds will be allocated by central government and construction will start. *2022:A detailed project report (DPR) for phase one of a mass rapid transit system for Coimbatore is in the final stage of finalisation. The first phase will be for 44 km on

Avinashi Road Avinashi Road, is an arterial road in Coimbatore, India. Running from east to west, the road starts at Uppilipalayam flyover and ends at Neelambur by-pass junction where it joins NH 544, Beyond Neelambur Junction, the road branches into two, wi ...

and Sathyamangalam road. *2022: An RTI filed by Chennai-based RTI activist Dayanad Krishnan revealed that Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is expected to complete the Coimbatore metro lite rail project for phase I corridors in 2027 and the total cost for the project is ₹9,424 crores.

Proposed Corridors

Proposed Metro Rail Routes in Coimbatore Based on CMP and Feasibility study

Planning

Phase 1

The phase 1 of "Coimbatore Metro" is planned to implement two corridors from

Coimbatore Integrated Bus Terminus The Coimbatore Integrated Bus Terminus, commonly known as the CIBT, is the integrated bus terminus under construction in Podanur on Chettipalayam Road, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, to serve both intercity and intracity buses. Upon comple ...

Neelambur Neelambur is a suburb in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu. Neelambur is situated in the Eastern Part of Coimbatore. Neelambur is also the East-End of Coimbatore City. Neelambur lies on the Junction of Avinashi Road Avinashi Road, is an arteri ...

and from District Collector Office to Valiyampalayam Pirivu covering 44 kilometers at a cost of ₹9,424 crore. The DPR suggested a Metrolite model but the officials said that the decision to make it a metrolite or to retain as a metro rests with the state government. The Phase 1 focus to implement Corridor 5 (pink line) from

and

Ukkadam Bus Terminus Ukkadam Bus Terminus, popularly known as Ukkadam Bus Stand, is one of the bus terminus of Coimbatore City. It was opened in 1991 to ease congestion in the central bus stand at Gandhipuram.The bus stand was planned to accommodate town buses and b ...

completely and the partial completion of Corridor 1 (red line) from

to Neelambur and the Corridor 4 (green line) from

to Valiyampalayam Pirivu. With 40 stations planned, the Phase 1 will cover major transportation hubs in the city such as

Coimbatore International Airport Coimbatore International Airport is the primary airport serving the industrial cities of Coimbatore and Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the neighbourhood of Peelamedu, about from the center of Coimbatore. It is the 18th-busie ...

Gandhipuram Central Bus Terminus The Gandhipuram Central Bus Terminus, commonly known as the Gandhipuram Bus Terminus, is a bus terminus in Coimbatore that serves intercity buses. History In Coimbatore, town buses started operating in 1921 to serve most parts of the city, as w ...

Coimbatore Junction Coimbatore Junction railway station, also known as Kovai Junction railway station (station code: CBE), is the primary railway station serving Coimbatore city. History Train service in Coimbatore with construction of the Old_Coimbatore Railwa ...

and

Podanur Junction Podanur Junction(station code: PTJ) is a railway station in Podanur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India History It was the first railway station in the Coimbatore district, Kongu Region or Western Region, which opened in 1862 and third oldest ra ...

. It will also connect major commercial hubs such as

Townhall Townhall is an American politically conservative website, print magazine and radio news service. Previously published by The Heritage Foundation, it is now owned and operated by Salem Communications. The website features more than 80 columns (bo ...

and

Gandhipuram Gandhipuram is a major place of the Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu, India. It is presently named after Mahatma Gandhi. It was previously known as "Katoor". Gandhipuram evolved as the major public transportation hub after the construction of the ...

Phase 2 and Phase 3

The remaining parts of Corridors 1 and 4 and the complete portion of Corridors 2 and 3 is planned to be completed in Phases 2 and 3.

References

{{coord missing, Tamil Nadu Transport in Coimbatore Standard gauge railways in India Proposed rapid transit in India Proposed infrastructure in Tamil Nadu