If you arrive at Mumbai by train the first thing that catches your attention is the massive architecture of the station at which you have arrived at -the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. This main railway station of Bombay is one of the major tourist attractions in the city.
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.
