Comprehensive Guidebooks To Standardise Station Redevelopment Formulated, To Be Released On 19 April

Pitching for transforming railway station areas into mini-smart cities offering huge business opportunities and improved passenger amenities at redeveloped stations, Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation has formulated comprehensive guidebooks and codes to standardise planning and implementation across Indian Railways.

IRSDC, the nodal agency for station redevelopment in India, has developed a comprehensive set of handbooks, guidebooks and codes for station redevelopment, including commercial development on railway land on principles of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).

Redevelopment of railway stations is a priority agenda of the government that will transform station areas into a mini smart city with mixed-use development where one can live, work, play and ride, thus attracting huge investment and business opportunities.

These redeveloped stations will provide state-of-the-art amenities to the passengers and enhance their travel experience.

While developing these codes, IRSDC has adopted the Form-Based Codes approach, as per the guidebook issued by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, in an endeavour to expedite the development in a mission mode, streamline the processes and improve the ease of doing business.

"The codes for station redevelopment along with commercial development on railway land are a comprehensive set of codes/handbook/guidebooks prepared over a period of time after thorough research, site studies, study of best practices, and study of similar national and international codes and tested through sample application on station development works," said IRSDC MD & CEO SK Lohia.

These first-of-its-kind codes have been prepared by IRSDC over a period of time after thorough research, feedback from stakeholders and studying global as well as national best practices.

"The codes have been formulated with a vision to standardise planning and implementation across railway stations and railway lands, encouraging public-private partnerships. These codes are now being made public for consultation with various stakeholders and the public at large for fine-tuning before adoption for station redevelopment work by IRSDC,” said Lohia.

IRSDC is all set to present the first of its path-breaking codes/guidebook/handbook for station redevelopment along with commercial development on railway land on 19 April 2021 through a national webinar as part of the stakeholder engagement exercise to share these codes and incorporate stakeholder views and suggestions for the final document.

Some eminent speakers participating in the national webinar will include CEO, NITI Aayog, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Railway Member (Infrastructure), Railway ED Heritage and Lohia among others.

Implementation of these codes will offer multiple benefits such as standardisation of planning, implementation and maintenance process, the ease-of-doing process for encouraging public-private partnership, and flexibility in asset use for sustainable development.

Lohia said: "These codes are enabling and operationalising the policy/guidelines issued by MoHUA on TOD and Form Based Codes, that will regulate development but are also flexible to encourage design innovation on the railway land to accommodate the city's growth."

"These codes have been developed with a holistic approach in convergence with other national schemes like Smart Cities/AMRUT, National Transit Oriented Development Policy, Green Building Norms and Affordable Housing."

Lohia further said: "The codes encompass Layout Regulating Plans with more information on “Green Area Structure,” “Mobility network” and “Active frontages,” Property Development Cards for development of Sub-Plots, Architectural Design Codes for flexibility in building design, Green Building Codes integrating minimum mandatory green building requirements as per BEE and Codes for Railway Heritage Assets for their conservation. While doing so, the codes ensure 24x7 active frontage and eye on the street concept to ensure women and children’s safety."

These comprehensive set of codes, guidelines and norms are to plan railway land area on principles of Transit Oriented Development. These codes are compiled as nine documents for ease of comprehension, yet ensure an integrated application and response.

The public consultation national webinar series starting 19 April will culminate on 15 May 2021 with the final adoption of the codes on 28 May 2021 by IRSDC as per feedback received from all the participating stakeholders.