For the second time, the Centre has ruled out a Metro Rail system for Coimbatore and Madurai cities, and recommended the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) instead.

In November last year, the Centre rejected the request of the Tamil Nadu government to implement a Metro Rail system in both these cities, stating that there might not be significant time savings or high projected ridership and that the cities did not have the mandated population of two million as per the 2011 Census.

Following this, in May this year, the State government yet again wrote to the Centre, justifying and emphasising the need for a Metro Rail system in both the cities, sources said.

The government said Tamil Nadu was one of the most urbanised States in the country, that Coimbatore was an industrial-cum-tourist hub and Madurai a tourist hub, and hence, resident population aside, both cities would benefit from having a Metro Rail as they attract floating population and tourists as well, sources added.

A few days ago, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs communicated to the State government that it had turned down the proposal again, and said the State could build an elevated or at-grade BRTS for both cities.

It said population was not the ‘sole criteria’ to implement the Metro Rail system and that they returned both proposals after examining them ‘in entirety’. 

The Ministry said a Metro Rail system would not result in any significant time savings for commuters in both cities and instead wanted the bus system to be strengthened.

It is to be noted that in the cities such as Agra, Bhopal, Patna, Jaipur and Indore, Metro Rail systems have been implemented in the last five years. In April this year, Jaipur Metro Phase-2 was also approved by the Cabinet.

“If the BRTS plan is going to be implemented, then it is possible to build it elevated. There is no adequate right-of-way to build it at-grade in both cities. The cost estimates may have to be reworked,” a source said.