Surat railway stn to be revamped as multi-modal transport hub

The Western Railway (WR) has decided to transform the Surat railway station in Gujarat into a multi-modal transport hub to provide "seamless connectivity" to people.

Under the plan, the railway station will have bus terminals, Metro rail connectivity and auto-rickshaw stands to facilitate the people.

"The WR has decided to redevelop the Surat station. It will be converted into a multimodal transportation hub (MMTH). A tender for the work has already been floated and the bids will be opened on August 14," Ravinder Bhakar, chief public relations officer of the WR said on Wednesday.

"The station will have bus terminals, Metro rail, auto-rickshaws and private vehicles to provide seamless connectivity. The makeover will cost Rs 1,173 crore," the official said.

The state-of-the-art MMTH will be built over 3.40 lakh sq meters of land pooled from Railways, the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), he said.

A special purpose vehicle named Surat Integrated Transportation Company (SITCO) has been formed by Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC), Gujarat state Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) for the task, he said.

"This is a first of its kind project in India, bringing together the Centre, the state and a municipal corporation. The station makeover will be done via commercial development on leasehold rights for a lease period of 90 years on the vacant railway land and air space," Bhakar said.

This hub is expected to cater to almost four lakh passengers per day by 2033 and approximately 5.25 lakh passengers per day by 2053, he said.

Currently, the built-up area of the station is approximately 36,950 sq metres and after the redevelopment it will be around 1.01 sq metres, the official added.

Under the redevelopment project, the station building will be constructed on at least 55,374 sq metres. The platforms will have granite flooring and the existing subway and ground floor of the complex will be used for parcel services. A skywalk connectivity between the railway station, 90 escalators and 30 elevators will be built in the MMTH.

Surat is known for its diamond industry as well as its textile market. Over 150 passenger trains pass through the station, including 21 originating/terminating here.