Madurai Metro

Madurai Metro
Overview
Owner	TNMRC
Area served	Madurai
Locale	Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	3
Line number	Phase-1 * Line 1 (Madurai Metro) Phase-2 * Line 2 (Madurai Metro) * Line 3 (Madurai Metro)
Chief executive	Chennai Metro Rail Limited
Headquarters	Madurai metropolitan area
Operation
Began operation	Proposed
Operation will start	December 2027
Operator(s)	CMRL
Train length	3 coaches
Technical
Top speed	60 km/h (37 mph)

v t e Madurai Metro
Legend
Phase I
Chittampatti ACRI Madurai Othakadai High Court Bench Uthangudi Mattuthavani K Pudur Commissioner Office Goripalayam Vaigai River Simmakkal Keezhavasal Meenakshi Temple Madurai Junction Therkuvasal Madura College Vasantha Nagar Pasumalai Thiruparankundram Thirunagar Thanakankulam Thoppur Dharmathupatti Kappalur Tirumangalam Tirumangalam metro depot Madurai–Tirunelveli line

Madurai Metro, is a proposed rapid transit system for Madurai, Tamil Nadu. It arose from a Madurai Metrolite system, part of a major expansion of public transport in the city and one of the projects devised by the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J.Jayalalithaa.

As of March 2023 ^[update] , the DPR preparation contract was awarded to Aarvee Associates. ^[1] It was ready by July 2023, with construction work planned to commence by end of 2024. On December 2024, the DPR for the Madurai Metro was submitted to the Central Government for approval. On February 2025, Officials indicated that the project could receive central government approval within 6 to 9 months and that groundwork for land acquisition and utility shifting would begin soon. On September 2025, an RTI revealed that the Central Government was still reviewing the DPR, leading to public concern over the delays. Additionally, reports emerged of a planning hurdle with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding alignment clashes in the Thirumangalam area. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

History

Background

As the monorail market is estimated to be ₹72,000 crore (US$10 billion) in India, the then Governor of Tamil Nadu, Banwarilal Purohit announced in Legislative assembly that the Government of Tamil Nadu had decided to do a feasibility study for introducing monorail system in Madurai ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} along with Salem, Thiruchirappalli, ^{[9] [10] [11]} and Tirunelveli.

In 2020, the government has earmarked a sum of about ₹60,000 crore (US$8.4 billion) for metro and monorail projects in Tamil Nadu. ^[12] At that time SASTRA, using Geographical Information System (GIS) tools, had worked out a proposal for a suburban railway route for Madurai City.

Madurai proposed routes for monorail were:

1. Tirumangalam – Mattuthavani - via. Kappalur, Thirunagar, Thiruparankundram, Palanganatham, TN polytechnic, Madurai Railway station, Simmakkal, Goripalayam, Tallakulam, Madurai Dist court.
2. Thiruparankundrum – Park Town - via. Thiruparankundrum Temple, Airport, SN College, Avaniapuram, Villapuram, South Gate, Keelavasal, Nelpettai, Goripalayam, Narimedu, Incometax office, Krishnapuram colony, Viswanathapuram, P & T Nagar.
3. Kochadai – Viraganur - via. Kalavasal, Arappalayam, Ellis Nagar, Madurai Railway station, Vilakuthoon, Keelavasal, Munichalai, Teppakulam.
4. Vandiyur – Iyer Bungalow - via. Anna Nagar, Suguna stores, Aravind Eye Hospital, K. K. Nagar, Anna Bus stand, GH, Goripalayam, Reserve Line, K. Pudur
5. Anuppanadi - Koodal Nagar - Via Teppakulam, Anna nagar, Apollo Hospitals, Mattuthavani, Surveyor Colony, Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Anaiyur
6. Tirumangalam to Melur - Tirumangalam, Kappalur, Thoppur, Tirunagar, Vadapalanji, Madurai Kamaraj University, Nagamalai, Nagari, Samayanallur, Vilangudi, Koodal nagar, Arappalayam Bus Terminus, Simmakal, Madurai railway Jn, Periyar Bus Terminus, Jaihindpuram, Villapuram, Mahal, Teppakulam, Anna nagar, Vandiyur, Pondy koil, Mattuthavani, High Court, TVS Srichakra, Melur.
7. Azhagar-koil to Avaniapuram - Azhagarkoil, Moondru Mavadi, K.Pudur, KK Nagar, G.H., Goripalayam, Sellur, Koodal nagar, Arapalayam BS, P.P. chavadi (in Theni main rd), Bye pass rd (Ponmeni), Vasantha Nagar roundana, T V S Nagar, Pykara, Thirupprankundram, Nilaiyur, Airport, Mandela nagar, Transport Nagar (along ring road), Avaniapuram.

Transfer Points were: Avaniyapuram, Goripalayam, Madurai Railway station, Periyar Bus stand, Keelavasal, Anna Nagar, Teppakulam, Mattuthavani, Tiruparankundrum ^{[13] [14]}

The Government of Tamilnadu proposed for a Metro Rail in Madurai, the third largest city in the state of Tamilnadu. ^{[15] [16]} CMRL releases tender notice for preparing the project's feasibility report in March, 2022 and BARSYL bags the tender to prepare feasibility study with the deadline of May, 2022 ^{[17] [18]}

Project timeline

• 2012: Tamil Nadu Government under J. Jayalalithaa announces monorail project for Tier II cities such as Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli and Salem ^[19]
• 2021: Tamil Nadu Government under M. K. Stalin announces metro rail projects for Tier II cities such as Madurai
• 2022: BARSYL bags the tender to prepare feasibility study for the mass rapid transportation system in Madurai ^[20]
• 2022 November: Madurai metro rail will cover 29 km with 17 stations in phase 1 stated by the DFR prepared by Balaji Rail Road Systems (BARSYL) and the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) ^[21]
• 2022 December: Detailed Project Report (DPR) was awaited for Madurai Metro
• 2023 March: Aarvee Associates bags the tender to prepare Detailed Project Report (DPR) for 1.35 crores. ^[22]
• 2024 December : The DPR for the Madurai Metro was formally submitted to the Central Government for approval.
• 2025 January : CMRL announced that preparatory work, including land acquisition and utility shifting, would begin soon, anticipating approval within the year.
• 2025 February : Officials indicated that the project could receive central government approval within 6 to 9 months and that groundwork for land acquisition and utility shifting would begin soon.
• 2025 September : A Right to Information (RTI) query revealed that the Central Government had not yet approved the DPR. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs stated that the project was still under "preliminary examination". A clash was reported between the metro's proposed alignment and the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) plan for vehicular underpasses at the Sipcot and Thoppur junctions. Joint inspections were conducted to resolve this conflict.

Proposed corridors

Phase I

Proposed Metro Rail Routes in Madurai at Phase-1 stage ^[23]

Madurai Metro
Corridor No	Line	From	To	Roads	Via	Length (km)	Number of Stations
1	Line-1	Tirumangalam	Othakadai	Tiruparankundram Road, Mattuthavani High Road	AIIMS, Thiruparankundram, Periyar Bus Terminus, MGR Bus Terminus, Meenakshi Temple, Madras High Court- Madurai Bench	31	22

Phase II

Proposed Metro Rail Routes in Madurai at Phase-II stage ^{[24] [25]}

Madurai Metro
Corridor No	Line	From	To	Via	Length (km)	Number of Stations
2	Line-2	Kattapuli Nagar	Madurai International Airport	Samayanallur, Paravai, Fatima College, Madurai Junction, MGR Bus Terminus, Meenakshi Temple, Perungudi	20	14
3	Line-3	Manalur	Chekanurani	Velammal College, Keelavasal, Madurai Junction, MGR Bus Terminus, Meenakshi Temple, Kalavasal, Nagamalai Pudukkottai	23	19

See also

• Chennai Metro
• Coimbatore Metro
• Kochi Metro
• List of Madurai metro stations

References

1. "Firm picked to prepare Madurai metro DPR". The Times of India. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
2. "Madurai Metro Rail: 27 Stations Planned for the Project, DPR to be Submitted by 15 July". Metro Rail News. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
3. Sampath, Nirupa (25 November 2024). "CMRL puts Madurai and Coimbatore Metro plans on fast track". www.dtnext.in. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
4. "Chennai Metro Focuses on Coimbatore and Madurai, Delays Salem and Tiruchy Projects". News18. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
5. Shrikumar, A. (22 January 2020). "Waiting for metro: stakeholders pitch points". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 30 November 2020.
6. "Will push for metro rail, bus port in Madurai: Revenue min | Madurai News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
7. Mallady, Shastry V. (14 February 2020). "Why no Metro Rail for our Madurai? asks TN Chamber". Lotus Times | Madurai | Tamilnadu | Lotus Times. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
8. "மதுரையில் மெட்ரோ ரயில் திட்டம்..? மத்திய அமைச்சரின் அதிரடி பதில்..!". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Tamil). Retrieved 30 November 2020.
9. "Archive News". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
10. Narasimhan, T. E. (25 January 2010). "Scomi eyes partners for monorail projects". Business Standard India. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
11. "மதுரையில் போக்குவரத்து நெரிசலை தவிர்க்க மெட்ரோ ரயில் திட்டம்". www.dinakaran.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
12. Dc; Chennai. "Jayalalithaa plans perfect future for Tamil Nadu". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
13. "Archive News". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
14. Dc; Chennai. "Jayalalithaa plans perfect future for Tamil Nadu". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
15. "Metro rail plan for Madurai, a great move".
16. "CMRL to do a feasibility study for building mass rapid transit in three cities".
17. "BARSYL bags the tender to prepare feasibility study for MRTS in Madurai".
18. "Metro feasibility report to be ready by May".
19. Dc; Chennai. "Jayalalithaa plans perfect future for Tamil Nadu". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
20. "Feasibility study for Madurai MRTS to start soon".
21. Sampath, Nirupa. "Madurai metro rail will cover 29km with 17 stations in phase 1". DT next. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
22. "Firm picked to prepare Madurai metro DPR". The Times of India. 27 March 2023. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 27 March 2023.
23. "Tender floated to prepare detailed project report for Madurai metro" . Retrieved 15 April 2023.
24. "Madurai metro to link airport in phase II; 5 km to be underground" . Retrieved 7 April 2023.
25. Staff, T. N. M. (20 February 2023). "Madurai metro: CMRL submits feasibility report, three things to know". The News Minute. Retrieved 29 March 2024.