The Union government has turned down the Metro Rail proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai, saying neither city meets the 2-million population requirement set out in the 2017 Metro Rail Policy. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in a letter dated November 14, 2025, pointed out that the 2011 census puts Coimbatore at 15.84 lakh and Madurai at about 15 lakh. Since the policy uses the 2011 figures as its baseline, both cities fall short of the threshold needed to plan a Metro.
The Centre’s note also referenced Tamil Nadu’s own mobility studies. The State-approved comprehensive mobility plan suggests that Madurai would be better served by a Bus Rapid Transit System. The ministry added that Metro projects demand heavy investment and need to be considered carefully for long-term sustainability. For cities of this size, it said, expanding the bus network or adopting BRTS would be more practical. With that, the Detailed Project Reports for both Metro proposals were returned.
A senior State official said the files came back with a clear nudge to explore alternatives to a Metro system. “We’ll respond and make our case,” the official said. Chennai Metro Rail Limited had submitted the DPR for Coimbatore’s project in July 2023.
The decision has upset civic groups. J Sathish of the Kongu Global Forum said the rejection goes against the Centre’s earlier view. Coimbatore was marked as Metro-eligible back in 2010, he pointed out, and the reversal after so many years has left people frustrated. He argued that the outdated census shouldn’t decide the fate of large cities, noting that Coimbatore district alone has three million voters and likely a population closer to four million. He also highlighted that cities like Jaipur, Kochi, and Nagpur — all roughly in the same tier — already have Metro systems. According to him, this setback will slow Coimbatore’s public transport growth by nearly a decade. He urged the Prime Minister to revisit the decision.
Political leaders in the region reacted along expected lines. Coimbatore MP Ganapathi P Rajkumar of the DMK said the Centre cleared Metro projects for Bhopal and Patna but denied Coimbatore and Madurai for political reasons, calling it a betrayal of local aspirations. Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan of the BJP said the State can still approach the Centre again and submit updated population details.
