Indian Railways Terminal Station Mumbai Suburban Railway station | |||||||||||
General information | |||||||||||
Location | Anandrao Nair Marg, Mumbai, Maharashtra India | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 18°58′11″N72°49′10″E / 18.9697°N 72.8194°E | ||||||||||
Elevation | 6.62 metres (21.7 ft) | ||||||||||
Owned by | Indian Railways | ||||||||||
Operated by | Western Railways | ||||||||||
Line(s) | Western Line, Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line, New Delhi–Mumbai main line | ||||||||||
Platforms | 9 (5 mainline trains + 4 for Mumbai suburban/local trains) | ||||||||||
Tracks | 9 | ||||||||||
Connections | BEST, Metro, MSRTC | ||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||
Structure type | Standard on-ground station | ||||||||||
Parking | Yes (on the outstation side) | ||||||||||
Other information | |||||||||||
Status | Functioning | ||||||||||
Station code | MMCT | ||||||||||
Zone(s) | Western Railways | ||||||||||
Division(s) | Mumbai WR | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
Opened | 18 December 1930 | ||||||||||
Electrified | 18 December 1930 | ||||||||||
Previous names | Bellasis Road (Suburban station) Bombay Central (from 1930 to 1995) | ||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
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Location | |||||||||||
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Mumbai Central (formerly Bombay Central, station code: MMCT [1] ) is a major railway station on the Western line, situated in Mumbai, Maharashtra in an area known by the same name. It serves as a major stop for both Local and Inter-City/Express trains with separate platforms for them. It is also a terminal for several long-distance trains including the Mumbai Rajdhani Express. It is one of the five major Terminal stations in Mumbai while others being Mumbai CST, Mumbai LTT, Mumbai BDTS and Mumbai Dadar. Trains depart from the station connecting various destinations mostly across states in the northern, western and north-western parts of India. The station was renamed from Bombay Central to Mumbai Central in 1997, following the change of Bombay to Mumbai. In 2018, a resolution was passed to change the station code to MMCT, [2] with implementation ongoing.
The Bombay Central station was built in response to the government directive to demolish the Churchgate-Colaba rail section owing to land reclamation needs. The BB&CI had to agree to this back in the 1870s, when it had extended the line to Colaba, when the permission to build the terminus was provided on the condition that in the event of any further reclamation schemes, the railway company would shift its railway to any other location between Marine Lines and Colaba. [3] The railway was provided a notice about the directed demolition in 1920. The BB&CI could not do this until a new terminus was found. A new station was completed of the name Bombay Central on 18 December 1930, and Colaba Terminus went defunct after the 31st December of the same year.
The Station was designed by the British architect Claude Batley, and constructed by the Shapoorji Pallonji in 1930 in a record time of 21 months. The project was then costed INR 15.6 million. [4] The station opened on 18 December 1930.
When the station opened in 1930, The Times of India suggested that the name Bombay Central was inspired by the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The paper argued that the station should have been called Kamathipura, after the area it was located in. The paper suggested that the name Kamathipura was probably ruled out, because the area is a red-light district. [5]
The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway extended its reach from Baroda to Pathankot via Delhi. The Colaba-Ballard Pier railway station proved insufficient in meeting the demands of a growing population which led the government to make plans for the construction of Bombay Central.
The present suburban route that once ran till Colaba was earlier served by Bellasis Road station. It was renamed Bombay Central (local) after the construction of the long-distance Bombay Central Terminus (BCT) on the eastern side. [6] On 1 Feb 2018, a resolution was passed to change the station code from BCT to MMCT.
The station is divided into two parts. The eastern half of the station serves long-distance trains operated by Western Railways while the western half serves commuter trains running on the Churchgate–Virar suburban section of Western Railways. The mainline section has five high level platforms terminating in a large concourse on the southern end. The suburban section has four high level platforms. All the platforms are connected by foot overbridges and the mainline platforms are wheelchair accessible from the south end.
A large Passenger Reservation Center with several ticket windows is located on the east side of the mainline station. Tickets between any two stations in India on any train offering reserved accommodation can be purchased from this facility. There are many Unreserved Ticket Counters in the main concourse for purchasing unreserved tickets for immediate travel on express and passenger trains starting from Mumbai Central. The west and south exits of the suburban section of the station have ticket windows for purchasing tickets for travel on the suburban trains. Suburban train tickets can also be purchased from automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) located at several locations in the station premises.
The concourse on the mainline side has an outlet of Rajdhani chain of restaurants serving authentic Indian food.
Bellasis Rail Café at Mumbai Central is located on the first floor near Bellasis Road overbridge connecting Mumbai Central station near the south end booking office. Items in this café are available in food packets, with ready to take away facility.
There are several stalls in the concourse and on the suburban platforms serving snacks, chips, bottled water and cold drinks (soda). There are book stalls in the main concourse and on the suburban platforms selling newspapers, magazines and other reading material. Train timetables are also available at the book stalls. Restrooms (toilets) are available in the concourse on the mainline side.
There are two gardens located outside the station. One of the gardens houses a historic locomotive, popularly known as the "Little red horse". The locomotive was built by English firm Kerr Stuart and Co. in 1928. The engine operated on the Devgarh-Baria Railway Narrow Gauge line, owned by the Princely state of Devgarh-Baria. The line was merged into Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI) in August 1949, and later became part of the Western Railway. The engine served for 61 years, before being transferred to the Pratapnagar workshop for shunting duties in 1990. It was placed at the garden in front of the Mumbai Central station in 1991 to commemorate its platinum jubilee. [7]
RailTel, the telecom arm of the Indian Railways, on 22 January 2016 launched free public Wi-Fi service at Mumbai Central station in collaboration with Google.
"We are delighted to launch India's first high-speed public Wi-Fi service in partnership with Indian Railways", Google South East Asia and India VP & Managing Director Rajan Anandan said.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway consists of exclusive inner suburban railway lines augmented by commuter rail on main lines serving outlying suburbs to serve the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Spread over 390 kilometres (240 mi), the suburban railway operates 2,342 train services and carries more than 7.5 million commuters daily.
Grant Road, formerly known as Bombay Terminus, is a railway station in South-Central Mumbai, and is the former terminus of the erstwhile Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway. It was named after Sir Robert Grant, the Governor of Bombay between 1835 and 1839. The terminus was established in 1859 to connect to Surat, over the years the terminus facilities were moved to Bombay Central and facilities at Grant road were converted to cargo operations. Post independence the road which lends its name to the area and the station has been changed to Maulana Shaukatali Road
Churchgate is an area in the southern part of Mumbai, close to the Arabian Sea. The area is known for its unique architecture consisting of art deco style residential buildings, access to sporting venues, and the business district of Nariman Point.
The Western Railway is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railways are: Mumbai Central–Ratlam, Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad and Palanpur–Ahmedabad. The railway system is divided into six operating divisions: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Ratlam, and Mumbai WR. Vadodara railway station, being the junction point for the Ahmedabad–Mumbai route and the Mumbai–Ratlam route towards New Delhi, is the busiest junction station in Western Railways and one of the busiest junctions of Indian Railways too, while Ahmedabad Division earns highest revenue followed by Mumbai Division and Vadodara Division. Surat railway station is one of the busiest railway station in Western Railway in non-junction category where more than 180 trains pass per day.
Dahanu Road is a railway station near the town of Dahanu in Palghar district of Maharashtra. It lies on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It is the northern limit of the Suburban network, although the track continues north to Gholvad and beyond.
The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway was a company incorporated in 1855 to undertake the task of constructing railway lines between Bombay to the erstwhile Baroda State, that became the present-day Baroda (Vadodara) city in western India. BB&CI completed the work in 1864. The first suburban railway in India was started by BB&CI, operating between Virar and Bombay Backbay station, a railway station in Bombay Backbay in April 1867.
Vadodara Junction railway station is the main station in the Indian city of Vadodara, Gujarat. Due to its strategic location, it is the fifth-busiest railway station in India in terms of frequency of trains after Kanpur Central, Vijayawada Junction, Delhi Junction, New Delhi, and Howrah,and busiest in Gujarat state as well as second important railway station in Gujarat after Ahmedabad Junction. It is also major stop on the Western Railway zone of Indian Railways. Around 340 trains start, end, or pass through the station weekly. This railway station is a junction point for rail lines from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Ektanagar (Kevadiya) and Chhota Udepur.
The 12951 / 12952 Mumbai Central – New Delhi – Mumbai Central Tejas Rajdhani Express is a Rajdhani class train of Indian Railways, that connects Mumbai Central (MMCT) and New Delhi (NDLS) in India. It is the fastest Rajdhani service in all of India, with an average speed of 89 km / hr and maximum permissible speed of 130 km/h. It is widely regarded as one of the most premium trains on the Indian Railway network and is given the highest priority in terms of clearance. It was the second Rajdhani Express train in India to be introduced after the Howrah Rajdhani Express.
Churchgate is the southern terminus on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It is located in Churchgate in South Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway is a public transit system serving Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Maharashtra. It consists of 37 stations from Dahanu Road to Churchgate railway station. It is operated by Western Railways (WR). The entire line is at grade.
Dadar railway station is one of the major interchange railway stations of Mumbai Suburban Railway. It serves the Dadar area in Mumbai, India.
Andheri is a passenger rail station located at Andheri suburb of Mumbai. It serves the Western line and Harbour lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It is also a stop for some express trains and August Kranti Rajdhani Express. The station also inter-connects the Line 1 of the Andheri metro station. Andheri station first came under prominence after the development of Salsette–Trombay Railway services in 1928 by the British Empire of India during the pre-independence period.
Bandra is a railway station on the Western Line and Harbour Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It serves the Bandra suburban area and the commercial area of Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). Bandra Terminus is near to Bandra railway station and serves interstate traffic on the Western Railway.
Borivali is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network and an outbound station. It serves the suburban of Borivali.
Mira Road is a passenger railway station located at Mira Road, a suburb in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai. It is situated between Borivali and Bhayandar stations on the Western line, of Mumbai Suburban Railway. The route of the station is located between the salt pan towards the western zone of the suburb leading towards Bhayandar.
Virar is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Virar is a terminus station. It is around one and a half hours away by train from Churchgate. Virar is a very crowded area, among other adjacent stations like Vasai Road because it is a major tourist spot. It used to be the only railway station to have services to other stations in Palghar District(in which the city of Virar itself is located), Saphale, Palghar, Dahanu and distant southern cities of Gujarat like Vapi, Surat etc. Since 2013 however, the Western Railway zone Suburban network has been extended up to Dahanu.
Viramgam Junction railway station is located in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat state of India. It serves Viramgam town. Its code is VG. It comes under Ahmedabad division of Western Railway Zone. Passenger, Express and Superfast trains halt here.
The Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line or the Mumbai–Ahmedabad main line is a railway route on the Western Railway section of Indian Railways. It is one of the busiest railway routes of the Indian Railways and is fully electrified. The Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway operates on the southern part of this route.
Colaba Railway Station was a railway station on the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI) located in Colaba in then South Bombay
Bombay Backbay railway station was a railway station of the erstwhile BB&CI Railway, located in Bombay Backbay in Mumbai. It was the starting point of the first regular local train service of the BB&CI Railway. It started on 12 April 1867, between the Station and Viraur (Virar).