German agency to fund 12.5m euros for Coimbatore Metro feasibility study

Chennai:

Coimbatore is getting ready to realise its Metro dreams as Chennai Metro Rail is likely to take up the task to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a Detailed Project Report on the mass transit system in the Manchester of South Indian.

It is learnt that the 10-month study which includes both preparing a feasibility report and a detailed project report would cost around Rs 13 crore.

Sources told Express that German Funding Agency KfW has expressed interest in providing 12.5 million Euros to conduct the study and the balance amount will be paid by the state government.

The move comes after Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami made an announcement in the state assembly to introduce metro rail project in Coimbatore city.

The need for a mass transit system in Coimbatore is required while taking into account the growing population of Coimbatore which is expected to grow up to 27.7 lakh by 2033.

It is learnt that 136km of Mass transit Network identified by Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Coimbatore Planning Area – 2015 will also be scrutinised. The CMP has identified four corridors in these stretch based on the vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the Coimbatore Radial Roads particularly Avinashi Road, Trichy Road and Sathyamangalam Road.

They include Kanniyur to Ukkadam Bus Stand (24km) along Avinashi Road; Bilchi to Ukkadam (24km) along Mettupalayam Road; Kannampettai to Thannerpanthal (42km) along Thadagam Road and from Ganeshpura to Karunyanagar (44km) along Sathyamangalam Road.

However, it was felt that CMP is a broad based macro level study report and further study is required in finalizing the mass transit system. As such, Chennai Metro Rail will be coming out with a final option based on social, technical and commercial project feasibility.

It is learnt that Chennai Metro will also prepare a detailed project report regarding City Bus improvement proposals and non-motorised plans for Coimbatore City.

Metro rail will also conduct prelimnary Environmental Impact study along the alignment and propose Environment Management Plan for construction and operation phase.

Factfile:

1.  Coimbatore city encompasses 257.04 sqkm and the local planning area encompassing Coimbatore urban agglomeration and its peripheral area covers 1287 sqkm

2.  Population of Coimbatore City and Local planning area is 16.11 lakh

3.  The population is likely to increase up to 27.7 lakh by 2033

4.  71.59 per cent of Coimbatore is residential and 18.19pc is industrial area

5.  The Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Coimbatore Planning Area – 2015 has identified 136km of Mass transit Network in four corridors

6.   The corridors include Kanniyur to Ukkadam Bus Stand (24km) along Avinashi Road; Bilchi to Ukkadam (24km) along Mettupalayam Road; Kannampettai to Thannerpanthal (42km) along Thadagam Road and from Ganeshpura to Karunyanagar (44km) along Sathyamangalam Road.