You’ve come across it in zillions of Hindi movies. It was the front portion of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus or CST in short was previously recognized as the Victoria Terminus. It is now the headquarters of the Mumbai’s Central Railways. The attraction for this wonderful work of edifice is so tempting that even Danny Boyle couldn’t resist shooting the now famous song ‘Jai Ho’ song in Slumdog Millionaire and Ra. One. The station is popularly known as CST or VT. An interesting aspect of this station is the heritage walk that the Central Railways have started for the visitors.
CST was created by Frederick William Stevens. The exterior design of the terminal is close to the conventional Indian palace style of architecture. It was built in the year 1887 in the Bori Bunder locality of Bombay to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The station took a good long ten years to complete. The Victoria terminal was opened on the date of the Majesty’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. It was in Bori Bunder Station that the new railway station was built.
Standing majestically the station serves as a terminal for all of Mumbai’s long distance trains and also for the many commuter trains. It was in March 1996 that the station got its present name. It is now known as VT.
The Victoria Terminal railway station and its adjacent building stand testimony to brunt of the terrorist attacks in November, 2008. The VT station also plays a significant role in the novel Santarem. The site on which this property is situated is associated with the origins of Mumbai as a city. The station has eighteen platforms: seven for local trains and eleven for long distance trains. The VT station is testimony to the 19th century architectural marvels of the railway.