Residents welcome study on mono rail system

The State government's move to explore the feasibility of introducing a mono rail system in Tiruchi, as outlined in the Governor's address in the Assembly on Friday, has been largely welcomed by civic activists and welfare organisations of the city.

Though the Governor's address did not elaborate on the plan apart from stating that investigations would be taken up on introducing mono rail systems in Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchi, the move is widely seen as a welcome decision.

Spread over 146.90 sq.km, Tiruchi is the fourth largest city in the State. With the possibility of more areas being added to the Corporation and the city expanding on all sides over the past few years, many feel that the suburbs require a fast and efficient mode of public transport. With a population of nearly 8 lakh (as per 2001 census), the city roads have been gasping for breath as the burgeoning population is matched by the rapid growth in vehicles on the roads.

Mono rail, as the name suggests, is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and guiding way. The system is touted as best for a city with narrow roads. And Tiruchi is notorious for its narrow roads, which pose multiple problems for city planners.

In the absence of details about what exactly the government is proposing, there are some who entertain doubts over it. S.Pushpavanam, secretary, Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, wonders whether the country had the technology to make it a realistic project though the proposal is attractive and catches the imagination of people. However, he conceded, that the city needs a circular suburban train system to connect the newly added residential colonies around.

But several other civic activists feel that it was high time that the city had some alternative mode of public transport to the chaotic and complex road transport. Most arterial roads are choked and bus transport is not adequate for the growing city, says Sakunthala Srinivasan, president, Payaneetalar Iyyakkam. Suburbs such as Tiruverambur, Ponmalaipatti and other newly added residential colonies should be covered under the system. “The investigations should be completed expeditiously and we hope that the project would become a reality soon,” she observed.

“We wholeheartedly welcome the government decision and the people of the city should cooperate fully to make the project a reality,” said M.Sekaran, president, Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations.

Welcoming the government move, N.Ramakrishnan, convenor, Federation of Welfare Organisations, observed that there can be no two opinions on the need for an efficient and modern public transport system in the city. “The city has been neglected over the past few years and we appreciate the government's move to cover Tiruchi also under the project,” he said.

A few years back, a faculty member of the SASTRA University, using Geographical Information System (GIS) tools, had worked out a proposal for a suburban railway route linking the island town of Srirangam with Tiruchi and its suburbs.

The proposal had suggested operation of suburban trains on two circular routes viz., Srirangam, Amma Mandapam, Fort, Palakkarai, Railway Junction, Golden Rock, Tiruchi Town and Srirangam; and Railway Junction, Palakkarai, Fort, Amma Mandapam, Srirangam, Town, Golden Rock and Railway Junction.

This could be possible if a link was established between the existing Tiruchi-Chennai and Tiruchi-Karur railway lines, by laying a new rail line from Srirangam to the existing Karur Railway line near the Kudamuritti via Amma Mandapam. The services could also be extended to the suburban areas of the City such as Tiruverambur/BHEL complex and the newly emerging colonies such as Bikshandarkovil, it was suggested then.

Though it could take some time for the government proposal to crystallize, the general consensus among civic activists is that the city is in need of a mass rapid transit system.