The chairman of the Railway Board, Vinod Kumar Yadav, on Saturday directed officials from the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) to present a final plan of the proposed redevelopment of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to the board.
Mr. Yadav held a meeting with senior railway officials of the city and IRSDC on Saturday. IRSDC is working in coordination with Central Railway (CR) to redevelop CSMT station, while restoring its heritage charm. The proposal’s key focus is segregating suburban commuter traffic from long-distance passenger trains and transforming the area around the station in sync with the main station building, which is a Grade-1 heritage structure.
Key features
Among the key features of the plan include a deck on top with connections to all platforms of the long-distance passenger trains, where passengers can wait, instead of on the platforms. The other key feature is diverting the taxi stand and the bulk of long-distance passengers to the P D’Mello Road entrance, while creating a pedestrian-only zone at the back entrance from the General Post Office. To enhance the heritage look of the station building, the encroachments around it, including new structures, will be removed. The annexe building constructed in 1929 and the building above the mainline platform will be restored to give them a heritage look. The team from IRSDC and CR are expected to begin work on Monday.
Mr. Yadav also discussed the future action plan for capacity augmentation to meet the increasing demands of passengers such as additional trains from Mumbai and early completion of the Dedicated Freight Corridor. He also reviewed projects under the Mumbai Urban Transport Projects being executed by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation. Mr. Yadav said that there was an acute demand for trains to Mumbai from Delhi and Kolkata, for which the existing capacity at CSMT had to be enhanced.
He also announced a cash reward of ₹50,000 to CSMT offficials for maintaing cleanliness, sanitation and upkeep of the station.
