Central Railway has introduced a 75-day traffic and power block at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) from October 1 to December 15 to facilitate the next phase of redevelopment at the historic railway station. The work will affect platforms 14 and 15 and stabling line 15, leading to changes in the terminating points of eight long-distance trains.
Under the temporary arrangement, seven services that normally end at CSMT will now terminate at Dadar, while the Mangaluru-CSMT Express will terminate at Thane. The affected trains include the Nandigram, Howrah-CSMT, Amravati-CSMT, Konark, Madgaon-CSMT Tejas, Bidar-CSMT and Latur-CSMT Express services. Train 12134 Mangaluru-CSMT Express will terminate at Thane during the block period.
Passengers travelling towards south Mumbai will consequently have to arrange onward travel from Dadar or Thane. Central Railway has advised travellers to consider the revised terminating stations while planning journeys during the 75-day period.
The block is part of Phase-I of the redevelopment project being executed by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). Foundation work and other construction activities will be undertaken around the affected platforms. The latest shutdown follows the earlier closure of platforms 16 and 17, which began on February 1 and continued until September 5 after several extensions. During that period, multiple long-distance services were also short-terminated at Dadar and Thane.
The ₹2,450-crore CSMT redevelopment was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2022. The project aims to upgrade passenger facilities and introduce new buildings, an elevated deck connecting platforms and commercial spaces while preserving the heritage character of the Victorian Gothic terminus.
The redevelopment was initially scheduled for completion by March 2026, but the deadline has since been extended to October 2028. Platforms 14 and 15 are expected to return to regular railway operations after the current block concludes, subject to completion of the planned construction work.
Source: Prop News Time
