Most beautiful railway station in India, it looks like a palace; it is located in…, was built in…

The railways network is the lifeline of India, serving millions of people each day. The country is home to some of the most beautiful railway stations in the world, some located in the remotest corner. One of the most charming railway terminals in India is Mumbai’s Victoria Terminus, now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST), after being renamed in 2017.

Who built Victoria Terminus?

A masterpiece of the Victorian-era Gothic architecture, the Victoria Terminus was built over a span of nearly a decade. Named after Queen Victoria of England, the construction of the historical railway terminal began in 1878 and was completed in 1887 AD, the year that marked the 50 years of the Queen’s rule.

The CST, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was designed by British architect Frederick William Stevens, who used the initial design by Axel Haig to construct the historic structure in a breathtaking Italian Gothic style. The Victoria Terminus was built to replace the old Bori Bunder railway station, and has became an iconic symbol of Mumbai city.

According to historians, Stevens, who drew inspiration for the terminus’ design from a masterpiece watercolor sketch by a draughtsman called Axel Haig, received a payment of $19,000 (around Rs 160,900) for his services, a massive sum at the time.

The Victoria Terminus looks like a gothic palace, and resembles many of the Victorian-era public buildings constructed during 1870s British Raj in Mumbai, like the Elphinstone College and the various buildings of Mumbai University, which were designed by famed architect George Gilbert Scott, who also designed his award-winning Berlin Parliament building in Germany.

Stevens’ work has been compared to Scott’s 1873 St Pancras railway station in London as both feature the lively Italian Gothic style of architecture which has become a hallmark of Victorian-era buildings constructed in British India. The Victoria Terminus took a decade to complete, the longest for any building of that era in Mumbai.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

The Victoria Terminus was officially renamed as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) in March 1996, after the 17th-century Maratha warrior king and the Maratha Empire’s first ‘Chhatrapati’ or king, Shivaji Maharaj. In 2017, the station’s named was again changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

The CST serves as the headquarters of the Central Railway, and is one of India’s busiest railways stations. The terminal has 18 platforms and serves both long-distance as well as suburban trains in the Central Railway network.