The Manmohan Singh government at the Centre decided in 2010 to introduce metro rail project in 16 tier-two cities in the country, including Coimbatore. However, E. Sreedharan, the former Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), conducted a survey in Coimbatore in 2013 and said the city was qualified for a metro rail project. The Tamil Nadu government recommended the Coimbatore metro rail project on February 16, 2024 and November 29, 2024. It is also a fact that metro system without a developed bus system and last mile connectivity cannot fetch ridership (for the metro).” While a section of the public continue to demand a metro rail in the city, another section has mooted metro rail connecting Coimbatore with the nearby cities and towns — Tiruppur, Pollachi, and Mettupalayam.