Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train finds a home at BKC

Maha govt & MMRDA agree to provide 5.5 hectares at BKC for the terminus to come up

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Rs 99,000 crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train has crossed a major hurdle, with the Maharashtra government and state undertaking Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) agreeing to provide 5.4 hectares of land for a terminus in the plush Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Of this, 0.9 hectares will be at the surface level and the balance underground, which will be used for the construction of the terminus.

Of the Rs 99,000 crore required for the bullet train project, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is expected to provide a loan worth Rs 79,000 crore while the Centre will contribute Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 5,000 crore each will come from Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Until recently, the Maharashtra government and MMRDA had taken the stand that funds raised through the sale of the land in BKC would be required to implement a slew of infrastructure projects. Subsequently, the state government had asked the Railway Ministry to explore alternatives near Bandra Terminus and Kurla.

A government officer, who did not want to be named, told Business Standard, ''About 5.4 hectares of land will be earmarked for the bullet train terminus. This will pave the way for the construction of the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) above the proposed terminus.'' A decision in this regard was taken after the issue was deliberated at length in NITI Ayog and also at the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

The officer informed that MMRDA had sent its view to the state government for taking a final call in this regard.

There will be 12 stations on the 508-km route, of which four will be in Maharashtra and eight in Gujarat. There will be two trains with 900 seats and 1,200 seats which will make 33 trips a day on this route.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to soon discuss further details with the Gujarat CM on financial arrangements and the cooperation agreement.