Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to get back its 1930s look with Rs 1,642 cr makeover

The iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, which a UNESCO recognised world heritage site and the biggest railway terminal in Mumbai, is set to get a makeover with world class facilities at a cost of ₹ 1,642 crore, officials said on Monday.

Under the project, the plan is to shift some railway offices from the premises to Byculla and Wadi Bunder yards, create more pedestrian area and have an access control system at the station, they said.

The 130-year-old majestic building, constructed in Victorian Gothic style, houses the Central Railways headquarters and also platforms of the suburban and long distance trains.

The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) on August 20 invited the Request For Qualification (RFQ) for the redevelopment of the station through the public private partnership (PPP) model.

Addressing reporters via virtual mode on Monday, ISRDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sanjeev Kumar Lohia said the redevelopment of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai would not only be limited to improving the facade of the station.

"Since it is a heritage structure, the first important element is to restore its heritage. We will restore the heritage to the 1950-level, Mr Lohia said.

The project has received in principle approval of the public private partnership appraisal committee (PPPAC) and RFQ for the redevelopment of CSMT has been invited, he said.

According to IRSDC, the project cost is ₹ 1,642 crore, including the construction cost of ₹ 1,231 crore and financing cost of ₹ 328 crore.

The redevlopment of the structure will be done on DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) basis. 

The bidding process will be done in two stages- RFQ and Request for Proposal (RFP).

"The selected bidder at the RFP stage shall take up redevelopment of the railway station and commercial development of the surrounding railway land on leasehold basis, up to 60 years for commercial development and up to 99 years for residential development on selected plots, along with operation and maintenance of the station for 60 years on concession basis," a release issued by IRSDC said.

Under the project, authorities have planned to demolish some existing buildings in the CSMT premises and shift some railway offices to Byculla and Wadi Bunder yards, to create more pedestrian area on the southern end of the station.

Even the existing taxi stand will be shifted close to the boundary wall adjoining the Saint George Hospital, officials said.

Also, the Harbour line, which connects south Mumbai with western suburbs and Navi Mumbai, will be shifted to the P D'mello Road side on east of the main line station on an elevated level, they said.

According to IRSDC, the stations will have an access control system and the passengers will have to pay a user fees, which the railway board will decide in future.

The station was designed in 1878 by British architect F W Stevens in Victorian style, well aided with traditional Indian themes.

Originally named as the Victoria Terminus, it was built at a cost of around ₹ 16 lakh. The structure, which took nearly 10 years to be constructed, gave the 19th century Mumbai its gothic city look.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Tatva staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)