94-year-old Mumbai Central station set for

Mumbai: Mumbai Central Terminus, which is six years short of completing a century, is set for a grand makeover worth an estimated ₹1,500 crore. As per the plan prepared by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), the 32.5-acre station premises will be remodelled to accommodate projected rise in footfalls, various passenger amenities, access to other modes of public transport and skyscrapers housing commercial establishment and offices. Suburban railway offices, rest houses, meeting halls and other amenities currently located in the ground plus six storeyed building will be shifted to Grant Road and Mahalaxmi.
Mumbai Central is the second station within the Mumbai metropolitan region which is set for a makeover after the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), a UNESCO world heritage site. CSMT too was upgraded by the RLDA at a cost of ₹2,450 crore.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who visited Mumbai Central Terminus in July to take stock the redevelopment, asked for the cost to be brought down to ₹500 crore, said a senior railway official. “We are currently rejigging details of the plan to lower the expenses,” he said.
The upgradation will transform the station premises into a vibrant hub equipped to handle over 650,000 daily passengers by 2065. It will include separate plazas for passenger and parcel entry/ exit; two concourses – the upper one covering 27,516 square meters and the lower one 34,366 square meters; connectivity with other modes of public transport such as metro, and taxis; a shopping mall and refreshment zones.
“The ground plus six-storeyed building that currently houses various suburban railway offices and amenities will be demolished to make way for a highrise building that will house offices and commercial establishments,” said a senior railway official. The move will help the railways monetise the prime plot.
The office of the divisional railway manager of Western Railway, located in the six-storied building, will be accommodated in the 19th century parcel depot at Grant Road, which is spread over 0.68 hectares and currently used by the railway police. Another 1-hectare plot beside this is also likely to commercialised, said sources. The remaining offices and assets located in the six-storeyed structure will be moved to Mahalaxmi, close to the railway yard.
“The redevelopment of Mumbai Central railway station is a significant step towards modernising the city’s infrastructure, enhance commuting experience and contributing to the city’s growth,” said a railway official.