In a move to manage the urban expansion around the bullet train route, Surat will host Gujarat’s maiden Town Planning Scheme tied to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
Over 3 lakh square metres
of land have been set aside for the road development. Five Town Planning schemes are being drawn up to boost housing, business and economic activity, while also enhancing connectivity through stronger multimodal infrastructure.
As per an official press release, senior town planner of the state government’s urban development and urban housing department, KD Patel, said, “Town Planning Scheme No. 61 (Kosmada–Chhedcha–Oviyan) is not just a planning document for the fast-developing city of Surat, but a roadmap for the inclusive and future-ready growth of the region. Covering 909 hectares, a total of five town planning schemes are being designed around the Bullet Train HSR node to strengthen the foundation for the city’s economic zones, residential areas, and multimodal connectivity.”
The purpose of the town planning initiative is to coordinate infrastructure with residential and commercial expansion, making sure that roads, utilities, and public spaces are developed in line with the requirements of the bullet train corridor.
The state government has cleared Scheme No. 61 as a draft town planning proposal in line with the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act of 1976.
Patel noted that India’s first town planning scheme, TP Scheme No. 1 (Jamalpur) in Ahmedabad, was introduced on September 1, 1925, under the Town Planning Act of 1915. Exactly a century later, in September 2025, an initial decision was announced for TP Scheme No. 61 in Surat. He further highlighted that this was the first instance of a scheme of this size being approved in such a short span.
The town planning scheme, spread across nearly 164 hectares and involving about 135 final plots, was approved following hearings that considered applications, objections, and inputs from landowners and other stakeholders.
The five town planning schemes are set to span across seven villages in Surat district: Kosmada, Chhedcha, Antroli, Sabargam, Oviyan, Niyol, and Vankaneda. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will feature 12 stations in total, with eight located in Gujarat and the remaining four in Maharashtra.
