Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), better known by its abbreviation CST or VT, and as Bombay VT is an historic railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway, also serving some long-distance trains. It is headquarters of the Central Railways in India and is one of the busiest railway stations in India. On July 2, 2004 the station was nominated a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.

The station building, built in 1888, is a magnificent and ethereal building designed in the Victorian Gothic style of architecture. The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture. Internally, the wood carving, tiles, ornamental iron and brass railings, grills for the ticket offices, the balustrades for the grand staircases and other ornaments were the work of students at the Bombay School of Art. The station stands as an example of 19th century railway architectural marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions.

History

The station was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887-1888, for the princely sum of 16.14 lakhs. Stevens earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Herman. After earning the commission, Stevens went on a ten-month trip to Europe to make a detailed study of the stations there. Victoria Terminus bears some resemblance to St Pancras station in London.

It took ten years to complete and was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the reigning Queen Victoria. In 1996, in response to demands by the Shiv Sena and in keeping with the policy of renaming locations with Indian names, the station was renamed by the state government after Chhatrapati Shivaji, a famed 17th century Maratha king.

Suburban Network

The network of suburban trains (locally known as locals, short for local trains) radiating out from this station is instrumental in keeping Mumbai running. The station serves long-distance trains as well as two of the suburban lines-the Central Line and the Harbour line. It is the westernmost terminus of Central Railway. Local trains terminate at Karjat , Kasara , Panvel , Khopoli Churchgate and Dahanu.