Central Railway will impose a 75-day traffic and power block at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) from October 1 to December 15 as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the heritage station. The disruption will affect eight long-distance services, which will be short-terminated at Dadar and Thane.
The block will cover platforms 14 and 15 along with stabling line 15. The work forms part of Phase I of the CSMT redevelopment being undertaken by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). Foundation-related activities and other essential construction work will be carried out during the closure, suspending train operations from the affected platforms.
Seven trains will terminate at Dadar during the block: 11002 Ballarshah-CSMT Nandigram Express, 12810 Howrah-CSMT Express, 12112 Amravati-CSMT Express, 11020 Bhubaneswar-CSMT Konark Express, 22120 Madgaon-CSMT Tejas Express, 22144 Bidar-CSMT Express and 22108 Latur-CSMT Express. The 12134 Mangaluru-CSMT Express will instead be short-terminated at Thane.
The latest closure follows an extended block on platforms 16 and 17 for the same redevelopment project. That work began on February 1 and was initially planned for 85 days, ending April 26. However, the closure was extended multiple times and continued until September 5, according to Central Railway.
During the earlier phase, between 10 and 14 long-distance trains were short-terminated at Dadar or Thane at different stages. Central Railway had expressed concerns about taking platforms 14 and 15 out of service, as they collectively handle another 16–18 long-distance services daily.
The ₹2,450-crore CSMT redevelopment project, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2022, aims to create an integrated transport hub while preserving the heritage character of the Victorian Gothic main building. Plans include new structures, an elevated deck linking platforms, upgraded passenger amenities and commercial areas.
The original March 2026 completion target has now been extended to October 2028. Central Railway said platforms 14 and 15 will be returned to railway operations once the current block is completed. Passengers using affected services have been advised to plan their journeys accordingly.
Source: Times of India
