Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज टर्मिनस Chhatrapatī Shivājī Mahārāj Ṭarminas, IR code: CSMT (mainline) or ST (suburban)), formerly Victoria Terminus (VT), is one of the main disembarking stations for suburban and long-distance trains in Mumbai, India, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

CSMT was established in 1853 as Bori Bunder Station. The first commercial railway service began on 16 April 1853 at 3:35PM on its first run between Bori Bunder and Thane. Bori Bunder was a small station, with a single pair of tracks and wooden buildings.

In 1877, the original station was demolished to make way for Victoria Terminus (VT) in 1888, taking ten years to build. The building was designed in the High Victorian Gothic style of architecture. It exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture. The skyline, turrets, pointed arches, and eccentric ground plan is close to traditional Indian palace architecture.

VT became the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR), which eventually became the Central Railway (CR).

In 1996, when Bombay became Mumbai, VT was also renamed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) to honour the first Maratha emperor. It was renamed again in 2016 to add "Maharaj", thus becoming Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). Despite this, the station continues to be known by the abbreviations "VT" and "CST" alongside "CSMT".

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 Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art. The station stands as an example of 19th-century railway architectural marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions. The station was constructed using a high level of engineering both in terms of railway engineering and civil engineering. It is one of the first and is considered one of the finest products of the use of industrial revolution technology merged with the revival of the Gothic Revival style in India. The centrally domed office structure has a 150 m (490 ft) long platform connected to a 500 m (1,600 ft) long train shed, and its outline provides the skeleton plan for the building. Its dome of dovetailed ribs, built without centring, was considered as a novel achievement of the era. It has a C-shaped plan which is symmetrical on an east-west axis. All the sides of the building are given equal value in the design. It is crowned by a high central dome, which acts as the focal point. The dome is an octagonal ribbed structure with a colossal female figure symbolising progress, holding a torch pointing upwards in her right hand and a spoked wheel in her left hand. The side wings enclose the courtyard, which opens onto the street. The wings are anchored by monumental turrets at each of their four corners, which balance and frame the central dome. The façades present the appearance of well-proportioned rows of windows and arches. The ornamentation in the form of statuary, bas-reliefs, and friezes is exuberant yet well-controlled. The columns of the entrance gates are crowned with figures of a lion (representing Great Britain) and a tiger (representing India). The main structure is built from a blend of Indian sandstone and limestone, while high-quality Italian marble was used for the key decorative elements.

The interior of the building was conceived as a series of large rooms with high ceilings. It is a utilitarian building and has had various changes required by the users, not always sympathetic. The main interiors are also decorated: the ground floor of the North Wing, known as the Star Chamber, which is still used as the booking office, is embellished with Italian marble and polished Indian blue stone. The stone arches are covered with carved foliage and grotesques. Internally, the ceiling of the booking hall was originally painted blue, gold and strong red on a ground of rich blue with gold stars. Its walls were lined with glazed tiles made by Maw & Co of Britain. Outside, there are statues representing commerce, agriculture, engineering and science, with a statue representing progress on the central dome of the station. A statue of Queen Victoria beneath the central dome has been removed.

CSMT is served by both the broad-gauge Central Railway (CR) and the standard-gauge Mumbai Metro. The CR consists of two lines:

• Central Line  Central 
• Harbour Line  Harbour 

CSMT consists of 18 platforms. The first 7 platforms are exclusively for suburban trains, and the remaining 11 for long-distance trains.

• 18.93996972.8340091 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus  3 . It is served by the Aqua Line only, which connects the station to Churchgate  Western  and Colaba to the south, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to the north.  (updated Jul 2026)

• 18.93920772.8354642 CSMT Bus Stand.  (updated Jul 2026)

• 18.94004272.8362493 Prepaid Taxi Stand.  (updated Jul 2026)

CSMT is on Dadabhai Naoroji Road at the west and P D'Mello Road at the east. The latter goes further up to Ballard Estate where a lot of corporate offices and Mumbai Port are situated.

Unlike most Indian stations, CSMT's footbridge starts right from the opposite side of Dadabhai Naoroji Road, bypassing the road traffic.

There are a few attractions within and around the station compound.

• CSMT Heritage Museum.  (updated Jul 2026)
• 26/11 Memorial. A memorial dedicated to the victims of the 26/11 attacks in 2008 who were killed at CST. Two Pakistani terrorists with AK-47 rifles entered the passenger hall, opened fire and threw grenades at people. The attack killed 58 people and injured 104 others. The police later caught Ajmal Kasab, one of the two attackers, and was hanged in 2012. (updated Jul 2026)

• Neelam Food Centre (opposite cloakroom, near PF 14). Said to be the only "restaurant" in CSMT. However, the food quality is questionable. ₹200–400. (updated Jul 2026)

• Public Toilet. Separate rooms for men, women and also for the disabled (divyangja). (updated Jul 2026)

The nearest hotels are in Mumbai's Fort and SoBo districts.

• Namah Sleeping Pods, PF 14, ☏ +91 90048 97645.  (updated Jul 2026)

The Fort district of Mumbai is worth a trip if you're stuck at CSMT.