Project-SMART for Station Area Development

Tags: National National News

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and 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).

An overview of the news

• MoUs were signed for four high speed rail stations – Sabarmati, Surat in Gujarat and Virar and Thane in Maharashtra.

• Surat, Virar and Thane are green fields while Sabarmati is a brown field development.

Project-SMART

• Project-SMART envisages developing areas around Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway (MAHSR) stations to enhance accessibility and convenience for commuters and other stakeholders.

• The project will facilitate institutional capacity of state governments, municipal corporations and urban development authorities for planning, development and management of areas around MAHSR stations.

• MoHUA, Govts of Gujarat, Maharashtra and JICA are organizing a series of Seminars and field visits for the Project–SMART in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. 

• The first seminar of the Series has been organized at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi on 8th May, 2023.