COIMBATORE: A team of experts from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is likely to visit the city next week to discuss the possibilities of implementing the metro project here.
Systra Group, a private consulting and engineering company, had recently completed a feasibility study on the implementation of Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in the city, which was later submitted to the CMRL.
Sources state that the consulting firm has proposed four corridors for the metro project for a total distance of 136 km.
As details for the feasibility study were collected separately from all the major departments, the city corporation has requested officials from the CMRL to visit the city for inclusive metering.
Hinting at other possibilities such as monorail, suspension rail or even an exclusive pathway for buses, sources said that the metro is not the only option on the table at the moment.
Corporation Commissioner J Sravan Kumar said that the project would be implemented in such a way, keeping in mind the population and infrastructure growth in the next 40 to 50 years.
"Following the feasibility study, the officials came up with requests and clarifications on where to place the yard for the metro project. As there is an integrated bus terminal proposed at Vellalore, we thought of including one corridor or pathway to the location to ease the flow of travellers in the future," Sravan said.
Sources say that the metro rail project will be designed in a way that does not clash with the bus routes.
Possible corridors highlighted in the study:
Route - Distance in km
* Ukkadam to Kaniyur - 26
* Ukkadam to Pilichi near Karamadai - 24
* Thanneerpandal to Karanampettai - 42
* Karunya Nagar to Ganeshpuram - 44