Question : Smart Railway Stations

(a) whether the Railway Land Development Authority and National Building Construction Corporation have signed a MoU with the Urban Development Department to develop 10 railway stations as the smart railway station;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether these smart railway stations will provide commercial space to set up business centres and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether these smart counters will be developed on PPP mode and self-sustaining financial model theory; and

(e) if so, the details thereof ?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****


STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1573 BY SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 19.12.2018 REGARDING SMART RAILWAY STATIONS

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. An MoU between Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) and National Building Construction Corporation Ltd. has been signed on 30.06.2017 for redevelopment of 10 stations viz. Tirupati, Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Nellore, Madgaon, Charbagh (Lucknow), Gomtinagar, Kota, Thane New, Ernakulam Jn. and Puducherry as a part of the SMART City project launched by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Contracts have been awarded for redevelopment of Gomtinagar and Charbagh (Lucknow) railway stations. Bids have been invited for redevelopment of Puducherry and Tirupati stations.
(c): Yes, Madam. Station redevelopment is planned by leveraging commercial development of land & air space in and around stations, i.e. vacant railway land and air space not required by Railways for its immediate operational needs shall be leased out to interested parties for setting up commercial establishments.
(d) & (e): The revenues realized from commercial development of stations should be sufficient to at least cover the entire cost of station redevelopment after meeting the full expenditure on real estate development and Maintenance obligations, i.e. station redevelopment project would be cost neutral to Railways.

*****