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The proposed metro rail projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode are facing uncertainty after the Central government decided to strictly enforce a new population rule for approving metro projects. Under the revised policy, only cities with a population of at least 20 lakh will be eligible for metro rail approval. Thiruvananthapuram
currently has a population of around 16.79 lakh, while Kozhikode has about 6 lakh, putting both projects at risk.
Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode Metro Projects
Concerns increased after the Centre recently rejected metro proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai, as both cities have populations below the required limit. However, officials believe Thiruvananthapuram may still have a chance because metro projects were previously approved for state capitals like Patna and Bhopal, even though their populations were below 20 lakh.
The Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for both metro projects have already been prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). To meet the new population requirement, authorities are considering revising the Thiruvananthapuram DPR by expanding the project area from around 372 square kilometres to 500-900 square kilometres and using updated population figures. The larger Thiruvananthapuram district has a population of nearly 33 lakh, and officials hope this could strengthen the proposal.
The proposed Thiruvananthapuram Metro will run from Pappanamcode to Enchakkal, with possible future extensions to Neyyattinkara and Attingal. The Kozhikode Metro is planned as a 14.2-km corridor connecting Meenchantha and Medical College, while linking the railway station and bus station.
The Centre has also suggested that smaller cities consider the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) instead of metro rail. BRTS uses dedicated bus lanes, costs only about 20% of a metro project, and can usually be completed within two years. Cities like Pune, Surat, and Indore already operate BRTS services successfully.