World-class railway stations at Ahmedabad, Porbandar, Surat ? Not soon!

Ahmedabad, 15 August, 2011

It seems central government’s months old announcement to develop Gujarat’s Porbandar, Surat and Ahmedabad railway stations as world class facilities will not see any ground activity soon.

As per the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri K. H. Muniyappa in written reply recently in Lok Sabha, Fifty stations including Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, Porbandar and Surat railway stations have been identified for development as world class stations in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode by leveraging the real estate potential of the land around and the air space above the stations.

However the bidding process for world class stations in PPP mode will be initiated only after Master Plan and Feasibility Report is prepared and in-principle approval of the local agencies obtained.

For this consultancy will need to be appointed. While consultancy works for preparation of Master Plan and Feasibility Report had been taken up for New Delhi, CST Mumbai and Patna, so far as Ahmedabad, Surat and Porbandar are concerned, action has been initiated for Consultants. This implied also to Secunderabad, Sealdah, Chandigarh and Chennai Central.

The minister added in his reply that due to high cost of these projects, not much headway could be made. He also said that in this regard, a review of policy of engagement of Consultants has been undertaken.