Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), formerly Victoria Terminus (VT), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an historic railway station in Mumbai-Maharashtra which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways which is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture.
The building, designed by the British architect F. W. Stevens, became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’ and the major international mercantile port of India.
The terminal was built over 10 years, starting in 1878, according to a High Victorian Gothic design based on late medieval Italian models. Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed arches and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture, an outstanding example of the meeting of two cultures, as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural tradition and idioms thus forging a new style unique to Bombay.
This is one of the finest functional Railway Station buildings of the world and is used by more than three million commuters daily.
The entire building retains entire structural integrity. Its façade, outer view and usage are original.
The premise of the building is a strictly protected area maintained by Indian Railways. The property is protected by a 90.21 hectare buffer zone.
In addition to the initial 4 railway tracks, the terminus now facilitates 7 suburban and 11 separate out-station tracks. Indian Railways are working to decongest this terminus and to deviate some of the traffic to other stations.
Source: Unesco
