Mumbai: The Mumbai Central Terminus, which will complete its 100th anniversary in six years, is set to undergo a major renovation worth an estimated ₹1,500 crore. As per the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) plan, the 32.5-acre station site will be redeveloped to cater to the projected increase in footfall and create various amenities for the passengers, access to other public transport and skyscrapers with commercial premises and offices. Suburban railway offices, rest houses, assembly halls and other amenities, currently located on the ground floor and in a six-storey building, will be shifted to Grant Road and Mahalaxmi.
Mumbai Central is the second railway station in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to be renovated after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. CSMT too was renovated by the RLDA at a cost of ₹2,450 Crores.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who visited the Mumbai Central Terminus in July to take stock of the renovation work, called for cost reduction ₹500 crore, a senior railway official said. “We are currently revising the details of the plan to bring down the cost,” he said.
The modernisation will transform the station area into a vibrant hub, capable of handling over 650,000 passengers a day by 2065. There will be separate areas for the entry and exit of passengers and parcels; two concourses – the upper one covering 27,516 square metres and the lower one 34,366 square metres; connections to other public transport such as the metro and taxis; a shopping centre and refreshment areas.
“The ground floor and the six-storey building, which currently houses various suburban railway offices and establishments, will be demolished to make way for a high-rise building to house offices and commercial establishments,” a senior railway official said. The move will help the railways monetise the prime land.
The office of the Divisional Manager of Western Railway, located in the six-storey building, will be housed in a 19th century parcel depot on Grant Road, spread over 0.68 acres, currently used by the Railway Police. Another one-acre plot adjacent to it will also be commercialised, sources said. The remaining offices and premises in the six-storey building will be shifted to Mahalaxmi near the railway depot.
“The redevelopment of Mumbai Central Station is an important step towards modernising the city’s infrastructure, improving commuter services and promoting the growth of the city,” a railway official said.
