A stakeholder meeting was held in Coimbatore last Friday after the consultant who is carrying out a feasibility study on the project, proposed the final stages of the DPR. Kovai Metro Rail is happening sooner than expected according to the detailed presentation.
The presentation spilled beans on how the metro rail system will function. The three-phase metro will cover a distance of 139km wherein phase one will cover roughly 44km between Avinashi road and Sathy road. The rest of the phases will materialize only after a detailed study.
The corporation is planning to construct the metros in parallel to the already constructed flyovers and the adjacent lands shall be acquired in a short span. In the places where these flyovers are in the initial stages, the CMRL team will look at a vertical two-tier system.
M.V.Ramesh Babu, president of the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association, gave his suggestion on the location. “We asked for a connection between Avinashi Road and Sathyamangalam Road to cater to residents of Vilankurichi and Kalapatti and also a station at the Codissia Industrial Park at Kannampalayam. We also suggested extension of the route beyond Vellalore to cover Chettipalayam,” he said.
They are affirmative that phase one will be completed in three years from the date of commencement. Each station will be packed with adequate space for parking facilities as well.
The preferred locations to build stations include Malls, bus terminals, airports, railway stations, and many other places under Public, Private partnerships.
J Sathish, a member of the Infrastructure Committee of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, said District Collector G.S. Sameeran, Corporation Commissioner Rajagopal Sunkara, and officials from Chennai Metro Rail were present during the meeting.