Chennai Metro Rail officials have said the outcome of India’s 16th population census could bring fresh momentum to the proposed metro rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai.
After Chennai, the Tamil Nadu government has planned metro systems for Coimbatore and Madurai. Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) prepared detailed project reports (DPRs) and submitted them to the state government, which then forwarded the proposals to the Centre—valued at ₹11,360 crore for Madurai and ₹10,740 crore for Coimbatore.
According to the officials, the Union government returned the DPRs last November, citing population-related criteria. The state revised the reports and resubmitted them in May, but the proposals were again rejected on July 25. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs suggested improving a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) with dedicated bus lanes instead of a metro, stating the cities did not meet the required population threshold.
The issue has also drawn attention as the state budget did not spell out the next steps for the two metro projects, leading to disappointment among stakeholders. CMRL officials said the earlier submissions relied on 2011 census figures and calculated annual averages, and expressed hope that updated census data would strengthen the case.
They added that survey work for land acquisition has been completed, though notices have not yet been issued. Officials said they expect the Tamil Nadu government to press the Centre again using current population statistics to underline the need for metro systems in both cities.
