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 ...

is a city in the state of

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 ...

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 ...

. Most transportation in the city and suburbs is over its road network. Coimbatore is well connected to most cities and towns in India by

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...

, and

air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...

, but not through waterways. The city has successful transport infrastructure compared to other Indian cities, though road infrastructures are not well maintained and developed according to the growing needs of transport, making traffic congestion a major problem in the city. A comprehensive transport development plan has been made to address many traffic problems.

Roads

The

city and metropolitan area is divided into five administrative zones (East, West, North, South and Central) which are served by major arterial roads that run in an east–west or north–south direction.

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, w ...

is one of the city's most important arterial roads, traversing most of Central and East Coimbatore. It is part of

National Highway 544 National Highway 544, commonly referred to as NH 544, (''old number'' NH 47) is a National Highway in South India connecting Salem city in Tamil Nadu to the city of Kochi in Kerala. It is also called the Salem-Kochi Highway. The highway runs ...

, which connects to

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. Other arterials include Trichy Road (Central–southeast), Mettupalayam Road (North–South),

Sathy Road Sathy Road, (NH 209) is a congested arterial road in city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. It is a part of National Highway 209 between Coimbatore and Bengaluru. This road runs for about 7 kilometers starting exactly from the GP Signal, ...

(South–northeast), Palakkad Road (East–West), Pollachi Road (North–South), and Thadagam Road (East–West). Maruthamalai Road starts at the intersection of Lawley Road Junction and connects to the neighbourhood of

Vadavalli Vadavalli is a neighborhood in Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the Marudamalai Road and has been under the jurisdiction of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation limits since 2007. Located at the foothills of th ...

and the Maruthamalai foothills. Other roads include

100 feet road Dr S. K. Karim Khan Road, commonly known as 100 Feet Road Indira Nagar. It is a road in the Indian city of Bangalore that links Old Madras Road with Old Airport Road. 100 Feet Road passes through four distinct sections within Indira Nagar. St ...

, Bharatiyar Road, Dr. Nanjappa Road, Balasundarum Road, Crosscut Road (in the

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 ...

commercial district), Diwhan Bahadhur Road (DB Road), TV Swamy Road, Brooke Bond Road in RS Puram Areas, and Race Course Road. In January 2012, the

Coimbatore Corporation The Coimbatore Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs the city of Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the second largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu only after the Greater Chennai Corporation with an area ...

announced that they would be laying around 10 roads by mixing plastic.

National Highways

Five major National Highways radiate outward from Coimbatore: *

NH 544 National Highway 544, commonly referred to as NH 544, (''old number'' NH 47) is a National Highway in South India connecting Salem city in Tamil Nadu to the city of Kochi in Kerala. It is also called the Salem-Kochi Highway. The highway runs ...

(Salem–Kochi road) *

NH 81 National Highway 81 (NH 81) is a National Highway in Eastern Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal. NH 81 links Kora in Bihar to Malda in West Bengal. Of its length, NH 81 runs for in Bihar and in West Bengal. See also * National ...

(new NH code for Trichy Road) towards Karur, Tichy, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam. *

NH 181 National Highway 181, commonly referred to as NH 181, is a highway connecting the city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu to Gundlupete in Karnataka state, South India. The city of Mysuru is connected to Ooty by road via Nanjanagudu, Gundlupete, Ban ...

(Mettupalayam Road) towards Ooty and Gudalur leading to Karnataka and Kerala. * NH 948 (Sathy Road) towards Sathyamangalam, Chamrajnagar, Mysore and Bangalore. *

NH 83 National Highway 83 (NH 83) is a primary national highway in India. NH-83 runs in an east-west direction, entirely within the state of Tamil Nadu in India. 4-laning of Pollachi to Dindigul stretch was approved in 2018. Route NH83 connects ...

(Pollachi Road) towards Palani, Oddanchatram, Dindigul, Trichy, Tanjore and Nagapattinam.

Ring roads

A major bypass was built by L&T from Neelambur to

Madukkarai Madukkarai is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the gateway to Coimbatore city from Kerala State and is located around 12 km from the Kerala border. The Coimbatore International Airport is about 27&nbs ...

on NH 47 which intersects the Trichy Road at Chintamani Pudur near Irugur and Eachanari in Pollachi Road. The

is undertaking the construction of six railway overpass bridges in the city. The

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 ...

has invited feasibility studies to upgrade the National Highway connecting

Pollachi Pollachi is a town and a taluk headquarters in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu state, India. Located about to the south of Coimbatore, it is the second largest town in the district after Coimbatore. Pollachi is a popular Marketplace for ja ...

and

Bannari {{Infobox settlement , name = Bannari , other_name = , type = village , image_skyline = Bannari range.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = Bannari plains seen fro ...

passing through the city.

Public transport

Most of Coimbatore's intra-city transport requirements are met by extensive

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

, with about 1257

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

es on 322 routes. This service, which is run by the government-owned TNSTC Coimbatore covers the city and its suburbs. An additional 500 buses operate on 119 inter-city routes, to major towns in Tamil Nadu,

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

Pondicherry Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...

, and

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

. Bus services are generally considered efficient, but buses on some routes can get very crowded at times.

Private transport

The city is also served by a large number of private buses and auto rickshaws. The growth of call taxis is also on the rise and fixed-rate tourist taxis are available at the airport, bus terminals, and railway stations. Vans which are run like bus services are popularly called "maxi cabs". The outlying suburban areas of the city are served by private minibus company services and public buses of neighboring districts. The city has a very high vehicle-to-population ratio. Despite a sharp increase in the number of four-wheelers in the city,

motorscooters A scooter (motor scooter) is a motorcycle with an underbone or step-through frame, a seat, and a platform for the rider's feet, emphasizing comfort and fuel economy in automobiles, fuel economy. Elements of scooter design were present in some ...

are still very prevalent, due to their affordability,

fuel efficiency Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, wh ...

, maneuverability, and ease of parking.

List of Intercity (Mofussil, Omni, SECTC, Town) bus stands

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 ...

Thiruvalluvar Thiruvalluvar (Tamil: திருவள்ளுவர்), commonly known as Valluvar, was a celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher. He is best known as the author of the ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'', a collection of couplets on ethics, political and ...

bus stand (For SETC(TNSTC) and KSRTC Buses) *

Coimbatore Omni Bus Terminus The Coimbatore Omni Bus Terminusis a bus terminus located in Coimbatore, in close proximity to Gandhipuram Central Bus Terminus catering to outstation private buses. It was inaugurated in June 2006. The Coimbatore Omni Bus Terminus was planned ...

(Near G.P. Signal) *

Singanallur Bus Terminus Singanallur Bus Terminus is one of the seven bus terminus in the Coimbatore City. It predominantly serves Mofussil buses, although it also serves a few terminating intracity buses. History The bus stand was constructed to ease congestion in ...

Saibaba Colony Bus Terminus New Bus Stand popularly known as Pudhu Bus Stand or Saibaba Colony Bus Terminus or Mettupalayam Road Bus Terminus, is one of the bus terminus of Coimbatore City. History The New Bus Stand on Mettupalayam Road, Opposite to CTC Depot, was opened ...

(Near Saibaba Temple) *

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 ...

(Ukkadam) *

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 ...

(under construction)

List of Intracity bus stands

Gandhipuram Town Bus stand The Coimbatore Corporation Town bus stand, commonly known as the Gandhipuram Town BusTerminus, is a hub in Coimbatore for serves intracity buses within the Coimbatore metropolitan area. History In Coimbatore, town buses started operating in 19 ...

*Vadavalli Bus Terminus *Vellalore Bus Terminus *Singanallur Bus Stand *Ondipudur Bus Terminus *Marudhamalai bus Terminus *Ukkadam Bus stand *SaiBaba colony bus stand

List of TNSTC Coimbatore depots

* Head-Office Branch (City & Moffusil) * Upppilipalayam (Moffusil only) * Sungam-1 (City & Moffusil) * Sungam-2 (City only) * Ukkadam-1 (City & Moffusil) * Ukkadam-2 (City & Moffusil) * Ondipudhur-1 (City only) * Ondipudhur-2 (Moffusil only) * Ondipudur-3 ( City & Moffusil) * Marudhamalai (City only) *Vilangkurichi-Cheran Managar (City Only) *Karumathampati (City only)

Air

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 ...

is a major airport serving

and its suburbs. It is the second busiest airport in Tamil Nadu (after

) and has separate domestic and international terminals. The airport lies about from the city centre and is accessible by road and rail. The airport is undergoing modernization, including the construction of a new terminal and a runway expansion to , which will make it the second longest runway in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

. Other airports in the metropolitan area include

Sulur Air Force Station Sulur Air Force Station is an air base of the Indian Air Force located at Sulur near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and is India's second largest air base after Hindon AFS. It is the base which is responsible for protection of India's sea area. It is ...

Railways

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 ...

, also known as Kovai Junction, is the primary railway station serving the city, as well as the major rail junction of South India. It has six platforms and is the second busiest railway station in

(after

). Many trains from Kerala to other parts of the country pass through Coimbatore Junction. It is one of the top booking stations and revenue-generating stations in India according to Indian Railway.

Proposed rapid transit

Metro

Coimbatore Metro Coimbatore Metro, also known as Kovai Metro, is a proposed rapid transit system for Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. History The Central Government proposed a metro rail system for 16 tier-2 cities in India including Coimbatore in 2010. While the Gove ...

, also known as Kovai Metro or CMRL, is a proposed metro rail system. The plan was shelved in 2011 in favor of a monorail system. In January 2017, a Coimbatore District Administration official told ''The Hindu'' that there was no mass rapid transit system presently under consideration for the city. The government again announced a plan to construct metro rail in 2017. Railway Minister Suresh Prabu announced a metro rail facility for Coimbatore, and mentioned that the central government is ready to implement metro rail in Coimbatore. The state government has also approved metro rail. The proposed works were anticipated to begin by fiscal year 2017–18. The government announced that DPR for Coimbatore metro rail will be prepared by CMRL and it will be funded by a German-based company. The feasibility report has been submitted by Systra to CMRL and sent for government approval. DPR to be prepared after Approval of Feasibility study.

Suburban railway

Coimbatore railways have unique infrastructure to host a circular rail system as it has similar bus services within the city limits. One proposal would link Coimbatore, Coimbatore North, Peelamedu, Irugur, and Podanur before returning to Coimbatore junction. Another infrastructure that can be utilized are the four radiating rail routes from Coimbatore Junction to towns away. The other junctions are located at

Coimbatore North Junction Coimbatore North (station code: CBF) or Vadakovai is a railway station located in city of Coimbatore, in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The railway line to Mettupalayam and onwards to Ooty branches off from here. The number of passenger t ...

(2.6 km away from CBE on the northern side),

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 ...

(5.8 km away from CBE on the southern side) and

Irugur Irugur is a suburb of Coimbatore, Coimbatore city in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the fastest developing suburbs in the Coimbatore Metropolitan Area. It is located to the north of Trichy Road, Coimbatore, Trichy Road which is a part of ...

(16 km from CBE on eastern side).

Bus rapid transit

The Coimbatore BRTS (bus rapid transit system) was proposed under the

JNNURM Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was a massive city-modernization scheme launched by the Government of India under the Ministry of Urban Development. It envisaged a total investment of over $20 billion over seven years. ...

scheme. The project calls for a corridor starting at Avinashi Road and ending at Mettupalayam Road. After Avinashi Road, the route turns left from Stanes School and passes along Dr. Nanjappa Road and joins at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road. Avinashi Road, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road, and Mettupalyam Road would have an exclusive lane reserved for buses. A dedicated two-lane carriageway is provided for the BRTS corridor. A dual lane for mixed traffic is provided on either side of the BRTS corridor, separated by CC blocks on both sides. A cycle track and 2-metre footpath is proposed on either side of the mixed traffic lane, also separated by CC blocks. It is proposed to have 14 at-grade bus stops and 3 bus stops in the route's elevated section.

References

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