India and Japan sign MoU to develop 4 stations along Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor

Following the successful completion of land acquisition formalities required for the construction of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, the venture has gained considerable momentum. In fact, as of February 2023, the overall physical progress of the project has reached an impressive 26%.

Moreover, the Railway Ministry and other associated authorities are working rapidly on the construction of stations along the rail corridor. For this, the ministry, along with the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, has jointly signed an MoU with the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The MoU aims to facilitate the development of 4 out of 12 stations along the high speed railway corridor.

The dedicated project involving the development of the stations on the corridor and the surrounding areas has been named as Project-SMART. This includes the development of two stations in Gujarat - Sabarmati and Surat, while Virar and Thane stations will be developed in the state of Maharashtra. Out of the 4 stations, 3 will be based on a greenfield model, Sabarmati, on the other hand, will be a brownfield development.

But the project doesn't stop there. The other objective of Project-SMART is to enhance the accessibility and convenience of commuters and other stakeholders and to promote economic activities in the vicinity of the station areas.

In addition, the construction of Bandra-Kurla Complex Station, which will be the only underground station on the high-speed corridor is also underway. The project has been assigned to a joint venture of Hindustan Construction Company Ltd (HCC) and Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd.