Gujarat forms new authority for bullet-train station-area planning

The Gujarat government has constituted the Gujarat High Speed Rail Station Area Planning Authority to steer integrated development around the eight stations of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR).

The new authority, notified under Section 23(1)(x) of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, will serve as the single nodal body for land-use planning and infrastructure development at station hubs in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Nadiad, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora and Vapi.

Officials explained that the authority will frame comprehensive development plans for each station-area, while respective urban development agencies will handle execution.

The move aims to maximise the economic impact of India’s first bullet train project by promoting commercial, institutional and hospitality infrastructure, improving last-mile connectivity, and implementing land-value capture tools such as premium FSI/FAR.

In a parallel development, the second of 28 planned steel bridges for the corridor was installed in Ahmedabad — a 70-metre span weighing 670 tonnes — signalling steady construction momentum, reported The Times of India.

“This unified authority will ensure the station precincts evolve into vibrant mixed-use hubs and avoid fragmented development,” said a senior urban-development official.