After Coimbatore and Madurai, the State government is keen on building mass rapid transit systems in Tiruchi, Tirunelveli and Salem. Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) has been given the task of finding a consultant to carry out the feasibility study for all the three cities.
The CMRL has invited bids from prospective consultants for executing out this job. While a consultant may be finalised in about three or four months, such feasibility studies usually take about four or five months to be completed, sources said.
“The consultant will provide various alignment options based on the traffic demand, suggest which mass rapid transit system will be feasible for the city, give details about the approximate cost of the project and how long it may take to implement this system,” a source said.
Based on the recommendations in the report, CMRL will hold discussions with the State government on whether Metro Rail, Metro Lite or Metro Neo could be implemented in these cities.
At present, CMRL is finalising the detailed project report for Coimbatore Metro Rail so that it could be taken up for funding and clearance. Simultaneously, it has awarded the contract to Balaji Rail Road Systems for doing the feasibility report for Madurai. The work has started and will be finished in five months. Possibilities of building a Metro Lite or Metro Neo are being explored for Coimbatore and Madurai respectively.
