Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. M. K. Stalin wrote a detailed letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing deep disappointment over the rejection of proposals for Metro Rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai on 22 Nov 2025.. He urged the Prime Minister to direct the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to reconsider the decision.

On November 14, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in a communication to the Tamil Nadu government, returned the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for both projects. The ministry cited that, according to the 2011 Census, Coimbatore’s population is 15.84 lakh, while Madurai’s is below 15 lakh. Both cities therefore fall short of the two million population threshold required under Clause D(ii)(a) of the 2017 Metro Rail Policy to initiate metro planning. The ministry further noted that metro projects are highly capital-intensive and must be undertaken with careful consideration to ensure long-term financial sustainability.

Mr. Stalin said in his letter “Tamil Nadu, being the most urbanised State in the country with a high per capita private vehicle ownership, needs high-capacity public transport alternatives in all its large growth engine cities. Towards this, we had prepared the DPRs for Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rails and forwarded the same to MoHUA for approval,”as reported by The Hindu. 

Mr. Stalin mentioned “Considering the high priority accorded to these two projects, we were continuously following up with the relevant Ministry. In this backdrop, the rejection of this request has taken us by complete surprise. It has created deep resentment amongst the people of the two cities that their deserving needs have been rejected, as compared to similar projects sanctioned in other States,”. 

 The Chief Minister also mentioned “I wish to highlight that the population of Coimbatore LPA area had exceeded 2 million way back in 2011 itself and in the case of Madurai too, the expected population is likely to exceed it now. It is pertinent to point out at this juncture that if this 2 million criteria had been applied uniformly, many Metros in Tier-II cities like Agra, Indore, and Patna may not have materialised,”. 

The Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Coimbatore, prepared by RITES after extensive traffic studies, had clearly identified the necessity of a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) along the proposed corridors. Similarly, the CMP for Madurai, prepared in 2011, had recommended a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system; however, since a huge portion of the alignment would require elevated structures, it also noted that a rail-based system could be a suitable alternative. Furthermore, the subsequent Detailed Project Report (DPR) studies conducted independent traffic projections, which reinforced the justification for developing Metro Rail corridors, the Chief Minister highlighted.

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The Union government has returned the detailed project reports (DPRs) for the proposed metro rail systems in Coimbatore and Madurai, citing that both cities fall short of the minimum population requirement under the Metro Rail Policy, 2017 for the establishment of metro system. Tamil Nadu submitted the comprehensive mobility plans and alternative analysis reports for the Coimbatore and Madurai metro projects in December 2024.

On 14 November, during a communication with the state government the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs returned the DPRs for both the projects stating that Coimbatore’s population, as per the 2011 Census, stands at 15.84 lakh, while Madurai’s is less than 15 lakh. The population of Coimbatore & Madurai are below the two million which is required under Clause D(ii)(a) of the 2017 policy to initiate metro planning. The communication from the Union ministry emphasized that metro projects are capital-intensive and must be planned carefully to ensure long-term sustainability.

However, Transportation activist Dayanand Krishnan questioned the decision, pointing out that cities such as Agra (15.5 lakh), Patna (16.8 lakh), and Bhopal (17 lakh), with similar population sizes have already received metro approvals. He added that the combined equity and subordinated debt component for the Coimbatore and Madurai projects amounts to about Rs 3,000 crore, requiring an annual central contribution of roughly Rs 750 crore, a relatively modest amount compared to other major infrastructure projects.

Transportation activist Dayanand Krishnan said “The Union govt has sanctioned larger projects elsewhere, including a high-speed rail system (bullet train) costing around Rs1 lakh crore, and rejecting the Tamil Nadu proposals on grounds of cost and population would deny transport benefits to a sizable commuter base,” as reported by Times of India. 

Officials from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) indicated that the correspondence should not be seen as a final rejection. They confirmed that revised versions of the DPRs would be prepared and resubmitted after consultations with the state government and central agencies.

The Union ministry, however, suggested that both cities should focus on cost-effective alternatives like modernized bus systems and the implementation of bus rapid transit systems (BRTS). The communication also noted that Madurai’s comprehensive mobility plan, approved by the state, indicates that current travel demand would be adequately served by a BRTS rather than a metro.

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