Sabarmati, Surat, Virar, Thane metro stations to be developed on Japanese model
The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Ministry of Railways have jointly signed an MoU with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for ‘Station Area Development along Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail’ (Project-SMART).
Project-SMART envisages to develop surrounding areas of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway (MAHSR) Stations to enhance accessibility and convenience of commuters & other stakeholders and to promote economic activities in the vicinity of station areas.
The project would facilitate and enhance institutional capacity of State Governments, Municipal Corporations and Urban Development Authorities to plan, develop and manage surrounding areas of MAHSR stations.
The MoU was inked for four High Speed Rail Stations – Sabarmati, Surat in Gujarat and Virar and Thane in Maharashtra out of 12 stations along the route.
Surat, Virar and Thane are green field while Sabarmati is a brown field development.
MoHUA, Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra as well as JICA are organizing a series of Seminars and field visits for the Project–SMART in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
The Seminars would contribute in preparation of ‘Station Area Development Plans’ for Sabarmati, Surat, Virar and Thane HSR Stations and model handbook, containing experiences and methodologies adopted in Japan, India and other countries for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Station Area Development. fiinews.com
