Coimbatore Metro Project – A Long Awaited Step Towards a Smarter City

Coimbatore has been developing for so many years at a pace unmatched by all projections. From being a quiet industrial town, it has grown into a busy metropolis with IT parks, learning institutions, hospitals, airports, and developing residential areas and with all this development came the one problem that all Coimbatore people know traffic congestions. Be it Avinashi Road during office hours, or Gandhipuram bus stand during peak hours, or Sathy Road cluttered with two-wheelers and buses, travel has slowly but surely become a cumbersome task in Coimbatore. It is right here that the Coimbatore Metro Project steps in, not as an infrastructure development per se, but a solution to daily living.

Why Coimbatore Needs a Metro

Coimbatore is no longer a small town. One million of people pour in every day for job, educational, business, and health-related purposes. The roads are not capable of handling the steadily increasing traffic. The construction of flyovers brought a brief respite, but it is a temporary solution.
Here are the advantages that the metro system brings to the city:
Faster and predictable travel
Less dependency on private vehicles
Reduced air pollution
Better urban planning for the future

Understanding the Coimbatore Metro Plan

The Coimbatore Metro Rail Project is designed to be constructed on a modern elevated railway system. It would strategically align and pass through the most crowded routes as well as the most important routes of the town. It is actually intended to connect major residential, commercial, transportation hubs, and the airport with an efficient transport system.

The fact that the concerned undertaking agency, namely the CMRL, has already garnered some experience in efficiently operating the Metro services within Chennai itself gives one a sense of confidence that the planning as well as implementation would take place in a very systematic as well as pragmatic manner.

Phase 1 – The Heart of the Project

This is going to focus on two corridors servicing the most heavily used routes in the metropolis.
These corridors, which stretch from Ukkadam to the International Airport at Coimbatore via Avinashi Road, serve the old urban areas, railway station, business, and IT areas before the airport. This road is one of the most important in Coimbatore because of its importance related to people using Avinashi Road.

It connects Coimbatore Junction with the north side via Sathy Road, touching the major traffic points of both Gandhipuram and Saravanampatti. Passing through educational institutions, IT businesses, and developing residential areas.

Whereas both the corridors are going to be built in elevated form, it is a good initiative because this way there is less of a land acquisition problem, and the metro remains connected with the roads.

Current Status – Where Things Stand Today

It is on account of this that the proposal has concentrated on the two corridors that serve the most used routes within the metropolis.
The corridors run from Ukkadam to International Airport, Coimbatore, via Avinashi Road, covering the old, urban, railway, business, and IT hubs before reaching the airport. This road acquires utmost significance in Coimbatore because of its relevance regarding people along Avinashi Road.
It runs from Coimbatore Junction to the north side through Sathy Road, touching the major traffic points of Gandhipuram as well as Saravanampatti. It passes through educational, IT, as well as residential, sectors.

Although the corridors are going to be developed on elevated systems, it is a pretty fine initiative because in this way, there is less problem of land acquisition, and the Metro is still linked with the roads.
What This Metro Means for Coimbatore’s Future
After it is launched, the Coimbatore Metro is going to bring a huge shift in the manner in which people are going to travel from one part of this particular city to another. The travelling time within the city in the distant regions is going to reduce substantially. The regions that come around the stations are going to develop.

Metro systems are a blessing for working people, students, senior citizens, and even businessmen. The most significant advantage is that it would facilitate the growth of Coimbatore without disturbing the balance that exists in the city.

A City Moving Forward

Once it hits the road, Coimbatore Metro will revolutionize the way people move around this city. Travel time within the city, in the presently far-off areas, would lessen drastically. Also, the areas around metro stations would observe better developments, property value, and organized growth.
For working professionals, students, and senior citizens, and even for businessmen, the metro will mean comfort, reliability, and time saved. More importantly, it would help Coimbatore grow without losing its balance.