Coimbatore, also known by the name of Kovai is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu after Chennai. It is located on the banks of Noyyal River surrounded by Western Ghats and is often referred to as the Manchester of South India. Coimbatore is the fourth largest metropolis in South India and has a well – structured and efficient transport infrastructure. It is well connected to most cities and towns by Railways, Roadways and Air. Several comprehensive transport development projects are being undertaken by the administration in order to improve the problems of traffic. Let us take a look at some of the prominent features of the public transport services in Coimbatore.
Air Transport in Coimbatore
Coimbatore International Airport is the second busiest airport in the state after Chennai International Airport when it comes to number of passengers & Cargo traffic. It serves as the city’s airport for both domestic as well as international flights, both being separated by separate terminals. Coimbatore International Airport connects the city to various countries in Asia, South East Asia & Middle East through international carriers like Air Arabia & SilkAir.
Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, IndiGo, Kingfisher, Jetkonnect & Spice Jet are few of the domestic carriers providing services.
The airport is situated approximately 18 Km from the city and can be easily reached by road and rail services.
Railways in Coimbatore
Coimbatore Railway Junction, also known as Kovai Junction is the main railway station operating in Coimbatore. It ranks second in terms of yielding revenue and crowd in Tamil Nadu after Chennai Junction. It has six platforms and many trains pass through Coimbatore Junction linking the city to various parts of the country like Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Howrah, Jaipur, Rajkot, Indore, Ahmedabad, Jammu, Kanpur, Patna etc. Coimbatore North Junction, Podnaur Junction & Irugur Junction are other important railway junctions.
Some other prominent stations are Peelamedu, Singanallur, Irugur, Madukkarai, Somanur and Sulur.
Road Transport in Coimbatore
Coimbatore has an excellent connectivity in terms of roads. There are six major roads running through the city. Avinashi Road, Trichy Road, Sathyamangalam Road, Mettupalayam Road, Palakkad Road and Pollachi Road.
Also the three national highways, NH – 47 (from Salem to Kanyakumari), NH – 67 (from Nagapattinam to Gundlupet), and NH – 209 (from Dindigal to Bangalore) connect the city to various parts of the country.
Most of the intra – city transport demands are met by the most popular means of public transport. The bus service which is operated by TNSTC Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation), a government owned body covers the entire city route through as many as 1257 buses on 322 routes.
Coimbatore has several important bus stations. Town Buses operate from the city bus stand located in Gandhipuram to other stations across the city. Some major Bus Stations in the city are:
There has been a sharp rise in the number of call taxis which are well equipped with all luxuries and technology like GPS tracking units. Such taxis not only provide comfort but also a sense of security. Major Service providers include Hello Taxi, Taxi Taxi and many more.
Air Transport in Coimbatore
Coimbatore International Airport is the second busiest airport in the state after Chennai International Airport when it comes to number of passengers & Cargo traffic. It serves as the city’s airport for both domestic as well as international flights, both being separated by separate terminals. Coimbatore International Airport connects the city to various countries in Asia, South East Asia & Middle East through international carriers like Air Arabia & SilkAir.Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, IndiGo, Kingfisher, Jetkonnect & Spice Jet are few of the domestic carriers providing services.
The airport is situated approximately 18 Km from the city and can be easily reached by road and rail services.
Railways in Coimbatore
Coimbatore Railway Junction, also known as Kovai Junction is the main railway station operating in Coimbatore. It ranks second in terms of yielding revenue and crowd in Tamil Nadu after Chennai Junction. It has six platforms and many trains pass through Coimbatore Junction linking the city to various parts of the country like Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Howrah, Jaipur, Rajkot, Indore, Ahmedabad, Jammu, Kanpur, Patna etc. Coimbatore North Junction, Podnaur Junction & Irugur Junction are other important railway junctions.Some other prominent stations are Peelamedu, Singanallur, Irugur, Madukkarai, Somanur and Sulur.
Road Transport in Coimbatore
Coimbatore has an excellent connectivity in terms of roads. There are six major roads running through the city. Avinashi Road, Trichy Road, Sathyamangalam Road, Mettupalayam Road, Palakkad Road and Pollachi Road. Also the three national highways, NH – 47 (from Salem to Kanyakumari), NH – 67 (from Nagapattinam to Gundlupet), and NH – 209 (from Dindigal to Bangalore) connect the city to various parts of the country.
Most of the intra – city transport demands are met by the most popular means of public transport. The bus service which is operated by TNSTC Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation), a government owned body covers the entire city route through as many as 1257 buses on 322 routes.
Coimbatore has several important bus stations. Town Buses operate from the city bus stand located in Gandhipuram to other stations across the city. Some major Bus Stations in the city are:
- Gandhipuram Central Bus Station providing service in Erode, Gobichettipalayam, Sathyamangalam, Tirupur etc.
- Gandhipuram Town Bus Station providing service in all towns around Gandhipuram.
- Singanallur Bus Station providing service in Palakkad, Palani, Pollachi, Udumalpet etc.
- Mettupalayam Road Bus Station providing service in Mettupalayam, Ooty, Mysore etc
- SETC provides Express Bus Service to Bangalore, Chennai, Pondicherry, Hyderabad, Trivendrum etc.
- Omni Bus Stand accommodates private moffusil buses running in the city.
There has been a sharp rise in the number of call taxis which are well equipped with all luxuries and technology like GPS tracking units. Such taxis not only provide comfort but also a sense of security. Major Service providers include Hello Taxi, Taxi Taxi and many more.