The petitioner said steps should be taken to establish the Metro Rail in the interest of the people of Madurai and its neighbouring districts, who depend on the city for education, commerce, healthcare, employment, temples, air travel and public services.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered notice to the Centre, the State government, and the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) on a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the State government to take steps to revise and resubmit the detailed project report (DPR) of the Madurai Metro Rail project for fresh consideration.
A Division Bench of Justices Anita Sumanth and C. Kumarappan was hearing the petition filed by A.V. Kathir, a law student, who said Madurai had transformed into one of Tamil Nadu’s fastest growing metropolitan-scale urban centres over the past two decades.
“The city houses the High Court Bench, several Central and State government institutions, AIIMS, and Government Rajaji Hospital. The expanding health cluster attracts lakhs of patients from the southern districts of the State. The city is a major tourism hub with Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, Rameswaram and Kodaikanal circuits,” he said.
Madurai had witnessed a substantial growth in the IT and services sector. Madurai airport was handling rapidly increasing domestic and overseas passengers. Large commercial and residential zones were emerging. The public mobility infrastructure had become severely inadequate, warranting large-scale intervention, he said.
He said steps should be taken to establish the Metro Rail in the interest of the people of Madurai and its neighbouring districts, who depend on the city for education, commerce, healthcare, employment, temples, air travel and public services. The absence of a modern, reliable and sustainable mass rapid transit system was causing hardship to the people, he added.
Madurai had over 20 lakh registered voters, exceeding the population threshold of 20 lakh prescribed in the Metro Rail Policy, 2017. The 2011 Census was an incorrect estimation of the population, he said. Metro Rail in Madurai would transform the mobility ecosystem of the region. It would ensure fast, reliable, and eco-friendly transportation, reducing travel time, congestion, road accidents, fuel wastage, and air pollution, and catalyze sustainable development, enhance commercial growth, boost real estate, strengthen hospitals, raise tourism revenue, and reduce carbon emissions, he added.
The court posted the matter to December 16.
Published – November 26, 2025 08:37 pm IST
