The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) plans to transform the upcoming station, part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridor, popularly known as the bullet train project, into a state-of-the-art multimodal integrated transport hub, officials said on Sunday, reported the PTI.
According to a Thane Municipal Corporation press release, an international conference on High-Speed Railway Station Area Development was held in Thane on September 26. The event was attended by civic officials, representatives from the state and central governments, and delegates from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The proposed station is set to function as a major transport junction, offering seamless integration between various modes of public transport.
“The planned development is expected to attract investments worth crores of rupees and generate substantial employment. Thane will become India`s first multimodal integrated station, efficiently connecting the bullet train, suburban railways, metro, inner-city metro, bus services, waterways (jetty), cab and rickshaw services, as well as highways and the airport,” said Saurabh Rao, Thane Municipal Commissioner, according to the PTI.
He further said that all public transport facilities would be available at a single location, designed to function in a complementary and well-coordinated manner.
During the conference, Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development Department), Asim Gupta, highlighted that the project should lead to Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Maharashtra.
Development plans for the Thane and Virar high-speed rail station areas are currently being prepared jointly by the local municipal bodies, JICA, and the urban development departments of both the state and Union governments.
Over 25 per cent of the station area will be designated as green zones, according to the TMC release.
Meanwhile, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that the much-anticipated Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train is set to be operational by 2029, news agency IANS reported.
He further highlighted that the 50 km stretch of India’s first high-speed rail corridor between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat is expected to be opened by 2027.
Vaishnaw inspected the under-construction Surat station, including the track-installation work and the first turnout. He said that commuters will be able to cover the distance between the two cities in just two hours and seven minutes on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train. The current travel time is around nine hours, as shown on Google Maps.
Throwing more putting on the project, the minister said, “Overall progress of the first bullet train project is very good. The first 50 km section between Surat and Bilimora will be open by 2027. By 2028, the Thane-Ahmedabad section will be commissioned, and by 2029, the full Mumbai-Ahmedabad line will open.”
Vaishnaw also highlighted the use of modern technology to ensure safety, including vibration absorption mechanisms along the track and special safety features to handle high winds and earthquakes, IANS reported.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)
