Surat railway station to turn into 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 commuters.

Extensive plan

As part of the plan, the railway station will have bus terminals, Metro rail connectivity and autorickshaw stands to facilitate movement of passengers across modes of transport. On Wednesday, Ravinder Bhakar, chief public relations officer of the WR, said, “The WR has decided to redevelop the Surat station. It will be converted into a multimodal transportation hub. A tender for the work has already been floated and the bids will be opened on August 14.”

Mr. Bhakar said that the state-of-the-art transport hub will be built over 3.4 lakh square metre of land pooled from the Railways, the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) and the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). A special purpose vehicle named Surat Integrated Transportation Company has been formed by Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation, the GSRTC and the SMC for the task.

Mr. Bhakar said, “The station will have bus terminals, Metro trains, autorickshaws and private vehicles to provide seamless connectivity. The makeover will cost ₹1,173 crore. This project is the first of its kind in India, bringing together the Centre, the State and a municipal corporation. There will be commercial development on leasehold rights for a lease period of 90 years on the vacant railway land and air space.”

The hub is expected to cater to about four lakh passengers per day by 2033 and approximately 5.25 lakh passengers per day by 2053. Currently, the built-up area of the station is approximately 36,950 square metre and after the redevelopment it will be around 1.01 square metres, Mr. Bhakar said.

Parcel services

Under the redevelopment project, the station building will be constructed on at least 55,374 square metre. The platforms will have granite flooring and the existing subway and ground floor of the complex will be used for parcel services. A skywalk connecting the railway station, 90 escalators and 30 elevators will be built in the multimodal transport hub.

WR officials said over 150 passenger trains pass through Surat, including 21 originating/terminating at the station, as the city is well known for its diamond industry and textile market.

THE HINDU