Railways Requests FSI of 5 on Rail Premises for Mumbai Urban Transport Project

 The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has requested a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 5 for projects under Phase 3 of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-3A. Officials from MRVC, a joint venture of Indian Railways and the Maharashtra government, met with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the proposal. A detailed report regarding the same was published in the Hindustan Times.

Vertical Development on Railway Land 

The FSI of 5, which is permitted for commercial buildings in Mumbai, will allow vertical development on railway land, making additional circulating space for passengers an urgent need. The unused FSI can be sold as transferable development rights (TDR) to fund the railway’s share of the project cost, which will benefit the government as it will receive funding for the project based on the sale of TDR. A senior railway official stated that MRVC has requested the state government to issue a GR for enhanced FSI.

Regulation of FSI 

The Maharashtra government has received MRVC's request, and it will need to fit the MRVC into Regulation 33 (19) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) to grant FSI. Regulation 33 (19) deals with FSI for commercial user development in Central Business Districts and permits a maximum FSI of 5 for plot areas above 3000 square meters.

Redevelopment and Revamp of Stations 

Most railway stations in Mumbai are over 50 years old and highly congested, and the augmentation of services and the increase in the length of trains to 12/15 coaches have further restricted passenger circulation. The MUTP-3A project aims to redevelop and revamp 19 stations on both the central and western railway lines at a cost of ₹947 crore. Additionally, the project includes plans for the improvement of entry/exit projects, the relocation of service buildings, stalls, kiosks, provision of green spaces, and the improvement in general lighting.

Stations to be Revamped 

The stations to be revamped on the Central Railway include Bhandup, Bhayander, Chembur, Dombivli, Govandi, GTB Nagar, Jogeshwari, Kandivali, Kasara, Khar Road, Mankhurd, Mira Road, Mulund, Mumbai Central, Nallasopara, Neral, and Shahad. However, the stations to be revamped on the Western Railway are yet to be revealed.