The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Ministry of Railways 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 the development of 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 the 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 in route. Surat, Virar, and Thane are Greenfields while Sabarmati is a Brownfield development.

The first seminar of the Series has been organized at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi on 8th May 2023; wherein officers from the Japan Embassy, JICA HQ, JICA India Office, JICA experts’ team, Ministry of Railway, National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited, MoHUA, TCPO deliberated.

The deliberations of the Seminars would contribute to the preparation of ‘Station Area Development Plans’ for Sabarmati, Surat, Virar, and Thane HSR Stations and a model handbook, containing experiences and methodologies adopted in Japan, India, and other countries for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Station Area Development.