Churchgate railway station
Churchgate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Western Railways | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 10 January 1870 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rebuilt | 1876,1931,1956 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrified | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Churchgate (station code: CCG) is the southern terminus on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It is located in Churchgate in South Mumbai, Maharashtra.
History
Early history
The Fort area was initially an actual fort enclosure, the fort named Fort St. George. It had three main gates.[1] One of these gates led straight to Saint Thomas Cathedral Church, hence it was named "Church Gate". The fortress was eventually demolished in order to create new spaces for the expansion of the city, in 1860s. This gate was demolished in 1860. Later the Churchgate railway station was built in 1870 in close proximity to the position of the demolished gate, and hence got its name.[2]
Churchgate station is a
The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (present
In year 1870, 6 years after BB&CIR commenced operations from Grant Rd. and Ahmedabad, Churchgate was first time mentioned as the station. It began with five trains running each day. The line was further extended towards Colaba in 1873, and goods shed was built there. Churchgate station was situated in the heart of the city, and it is quite certain that the old station was not able to cope with the growing demand. The station was hence rebuilt in 1876. Its structure resembled an English inn, and was compared by the Bombay Guardian to a Swiss chalet.[5] The station then had just two platforms. The Up platform catered to passengers arriving from Marine Lines, while the Down platform catered to those travelling towards Marine Lines, or further northward. The station also had a level crossing, situated to its south. It was used by passengers willing to use the Down Platform, and to prevent pedestrians from crossing the tracks. Around two decades later the grand BB&CIR headquarters were built just opposite the station, completed by 1899.
In 1920, the Government of Bombay issued order to the BB&CI railway to hand over the section of rail line between Churchgate and Colaba, to allow unrestricted access for the planned Backbay reclamation. In fact, the line extension to Colaba was permitted only on the condition that the extension would be relinquished, would there be further reclamation projects in the vicinity. Amidst this, were the plans for railway electrification. The plans were sanctioned in 1923, and the scheme covered the section between Churchgate and Borivali. For this, the station had to be remodeled extensively. A foot-over bridge was provided, and the level crossing practically closed for vehicles and pedestrians. In view of the upcoming reclamation, Bombay Central (Mumbai Central), a new station was constructed near Bellasis Bridge and was opened on 18 December 1930.[6] From the midnight of 31 December, Colaba station ceased to be a terminus and the line then terminated at Churchgate from the New Year's Day of 1931.[2] The station had to be again remodeled, and changes included the demolishing of the old level crossing, and the footbridge. The station underwent its final reconstruction in mid 1950s, converting the humble station to a seven storied building, offering better amenities like booking offices, sanitation facilities, and above all, bringing all the scattered offices of the railway to a single building. The new (the current) building was finally inaugurated on 3 June 1957.
Current history
Presently, this station is home to the
The station is the terminus for local trains on
Till 2010, the station had platforms which could accommodate 9 and 12 coach trains. But with the introduction of 15-coach trains there was a need to extend the length of the platform. Hence in Dec 2010 work began on extension of the platforms to accommodate the 15-coach trains.[8]
On 28 June 2015 a train derailed after crashing into the end of the platform after not stopping in time. Five people were injured.[9]
In February 2023, at the first national executive meeting the Shiv Sena party, a resolution was passed to rename the station to "Chintamanrao Deshmukh station", after former RBI governor and Union Finance Minister C. D. Deshmukh.[10][11][12]
Gallery
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Platforms extend beyond the canopy
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View of a Local Train entering Churchgate Pf.1
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Churchgate station platform 2/3
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Damaged buffer, post the accident on 28 June 2015.
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Churchgate station with Mural of Mahatma Gandhi by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra
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Churchgate Railway Station sign
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Churchgate station Banner
References
- ^ "Old Churchgate". memumbai.com. 9 February 2019.
- ^ a b "File:Churchgate Station Banner.jpg". Wikimedia.org. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- ^ Railway gazette international, Volume 101. Reed Business Pub. 1954.Page 12
- ^ John Murray (Firm) (1965). A handbook for travellers in India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon. John Murray. p. 632.Page 6
- ISBN 81-900602-4-4.
- ^ A Century of Suburban Service ,1961 Westrail News- https://wr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris/uploads/files/1392817958306-article2.pdf
- ^ https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/1626/1/lsd_02_02_29-07-1957.pdf page 11
- ^ "Churchgate platform extension". Daily News and Analysis. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ^ "Train rams into buffer, 5 injured". 29 June 2015.
- ^ "Mumbai's Churchgate railway station to be renamed after India's first RBI Governor". Lokmat Times. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ Choudhury, Snigdha. "Mumbai's Iconic Churchgate Railway Station To Be Renamed: Who Is CD Deshmukh And How Names Are Changed?". India.com. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ Sharma, Anushka (22 February 2023). "Mumbai's Churchgate railway station to be renamed after first Indian RBI governor CD Deshmukh". CNBCTV18. Retrieved 2 February 2024.