Victoria Terminus Information :

Location: On DN Road, Mumbai
Specialty: Head Quarters of the Central Railway, a world heritage site
Attraction: An outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival Architecture in India
Best Time to Visit: Anytime

About the Victoria Terminus in Mumbai :

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (earlier known as Victoria Terminus) is the main railway station at Mumbai is thought to be architecturally on of the best stations in the world. The construction of this brilliant and exquisitely sculptured building began in 1887-1888. Fredrick Williams Stevens, a consulting architect, designed the railway station in 1887-1888 for Rs.16.14 lakhs, which was a handsome sum in those days. It is believed that Stevens was hired to build the station after his draughtsman Axel Herman created a beautiful watercolour sketch of the station. After he was hired Stevens took an extensive tour of Europe for ten months, to carefully study the different stations in Europe. The St. Pancras station in London looks like the Victoria Terminus in some aspects. The station was constructed in 10 years time and was named after Queen Victoria, who was the reigning Queen. The dome of the station has a statue of Queen Victoria. This station is also important because the first steam train in India, from Mumbai to Thane was flagged off from here in 1853. The architecture of the building is a blend of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture. The station is considered to be a marvel in 19th century railway architecture for its superior structural and technical solutions.

Today this railway station houses the headquarters of the Central Railways in India and is one of the busiest stations in the country. In 1996 the State Government of Maharastra renamed the Victoria Terminus as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, after the famous Maratha King, in accordance with their policy to rename locations with Indian names. Inspite of this, most of the residents of Mumbai continue to call the station "VT" the popular acronym for Victoria Terminus. On July 2, 2004 the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO nominated the station as a World Heritage Site.

This station is also the hub of the local suburban train network. The network of suburban trains (local trains) that branch out of this station is responsible for keeping Bombay running. The station is the final destination for a number of long distance trains and for two of the suburban lines, the main line and the harbour line. The station is also the western most endpoint of the Central Railways.

Features of Victoria Terminus in Mumbai

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is popularly known by its acronym VT. Being the headquarters of the Central Railways in India, it is the western-most end point of the division and also the southern end point of the central and harbor lines of Mumbai's metropolitan rail transport system.
• Long distance trains as well as suburban trains on the main line and the harbour line operate from this station.
• A blend of Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture-is displayed by the wood carving, tiles, ornamental iron and brass railings, grills and balustrades in the station
• It showcases advanced technical and structural designs
• There is a statue of Queen Victoria on the dome of the station.
• The first steam train in India-- from Mumbai to Thane was flagged off from here in 1853.
  

How to reach Victoria Terminus :

To visit the Victoria Terminus , you can come down to Mumbai by air, by rail, or by road. Mumbai is an international airport, and is also the busiest domestic air network in the country. The international terminal is at Sahar, which is 30 km north of the city center. The domestic terminal at Santa Cruz is just 4 km away. Other railway stations apart from the Victoria Terminus are Dadar, Churchgate, and Kurla. Prepaid taxis are available from the airports to the downtown.