In a bid to revamp Mumbai’s lifeline, the suburban railway network, the Railways has sought additional incentives to unlock railway land for commercial use. It has asked the state government to allot a floor-space index (FSI) of 4 for development of railway stations in Mumbai. FSI is a development tool which defines the extent of construction permissible on a plot. It is the ratio of the built-up area to the total plot area. Proposing a vertical development model for stations, the railways’ proposal to government states that the higher floors would be used to set up hotels, shopping centres and for various other purposes. Another proposal through which the Railways is eyeing additional revenue is advertisements. It has petitioned to the government to make the advertisement policy applicable to areas in and around railway stations more lucrative. Both proposals were discussed during a meeting which took place between Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday. Also, while Prabhu has mooted the idea of a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) between the state and the Centre to resolve issues related to Mumbai’s suburban network, the Railways also want the cash-starved state government to brace for some additional financial burden. Arguing that it was incurring huge losses in running the suburban network, the Union Ministry wanted the state government to agree to share these losses. “In 2013-14, the Railways incurred a loss of Rs 1,417 crore along the suburban route. This included Rs 517 crore on the Western Railway and Rs 900 crore along the Central Railway,” the Railways proposal stated. To improve its financial position, the Railways has also approached the government for reduction in power tariff, arguing that the tariff charged at present was the highest for any state in the country. With Prabhu indicating that decongestion of the suburban route was his priority area, the Railways has also asked Fadnavis to expedite clearances and funding for crucial rail infrastructure projects, including phase-III of the much delayed Mumbai Urban Transportation Project and approval to the CST-Panvel high speed corridor. It has also sought the government’s assistance for the much-touted project of commissioning a 5th and 6th line between Santacruz and Mahim. The work has been stuck due to public agitation.
